Meet The Fairmonts
by A.T. Gunn
Summary: When a new family moves into the neighborhood they hit it off with the Louds. However, things may never be the same in the Loud House again.
1. Chapter 1: Moving In

**Meet The Fairmonts**

 **by A.T. Gunn**

Chapter One

Moving In

It is a bright, warm early summer's day in the community of Royal Woods, Michigan. With summer vacation being out for about a week there are already youngsters milling about the streets and well manicured lawns. At 1216 Franklin Avenue we come upon the unassuming abode of the Loud family. An aptly named family when one realizes that within the walls of this home resides a family of thirteen. Yeah things can get pretty loud around this residence.

It is on this morning that the Loud's middle child, Lincoln notices something going on across the street and a few doors down. A large moving van reversing onto the driveway of a house that has stood empty for a number of years. Throwing open the door to his room he runs smack into the line that forms everyday in front of the bathroom.

"Hey," he says, "Someone is moving to the old Benson house."

"Really?" Luan says with a yawn as her right hand scratches her butt.

"Ugh! Luan, don't be gross!" Lincoln says.

His sister simply shrugs at his comment and yawns again. "Do you know why I scratch like that?" Lincoln simply stares at her. "Because I'm the only one who knows where it itches." Lincoln groans along with the rest of his assembled siblings.

"But really, you should see the size of the moving van. It's freakin' huge!" Lincoln throws his arms open wide to emphasize his words." 

Lori, the eldest, gives him an exasperated roll of her eyes. "Lincoln, if you've seen one moving van, you've literally seen them all."

"Oh, you think so?" Her brother says with a bit of a smirk. "Well, it's parked in the driveway and it still almost reaches across the street." 

Lori's eyes widen at this and "Oh." is her only comment.

"Hey," Lana says, "Maybe we should check out the new neighbors out later on today."

"I don't know." Her twin, Lola comments. "What if they're...you know...icky?"

"Sheesh, Lola I'm not saying that we have to hang around. I'm just saying we do the neighborly thing."

"She does have a point there, little dudette." Luna interjects. "We are the neighborhood's largest welcome wagon, after all." 

"Fine. Fine." the little blonde concedes, "We'll go and say hello to the icky neighbors later."

Lincoln puts his hands on his hips and looks down at his younger sibling. "You're all heart, Lola." 

Lori suddenly turns to the bathroom door and pounds on it. "Leni! Move your butt!"

So after a hearty breakfast and getting permission from their parents, the Loud children make their way over to the new neighbor's house. The first thing that they realize is that the moving van has no company logo or even a phone number. As a matter of fact the vehicle is just painted a sort of satin black. Lincoln also notices the banks of LED lights.

"Hmmm," the youngster says to himself, "must be for visibility at night."

Leni turns to him, "Did you say something, Linky?"

"Oh, I was just figuring about all the light." He points them out to his sister. "They must be so the truck can be easily spotted at night. Otherwise this thing would be like a hole in the dark."

"Yeah," Lynn puts in. "I mean, if Darth Vader had a truck...this would be it."

As they get closer they notice a smallish blonde female taking stuff form the van to the house. She is very slight of build with a unruly shock of hair. She wears a pair of well worn jeans and a pink baby tee that exposes a slim and tight mid drift. Lynn realizes that the shirt has some pink sequin writing on it.

Lynn being the consummate tomboy laughs. "Bet it says something like "Princess" or something just as sappy.

"Uhhhh, I don't think so." Lori says. "Look!"

Lynn takes a second look and the smile drops from her face. The baby tee reads, 'Daddy's Little Monster'. "Wow, gotta admit I didn't see that coming.

It's a that moment that the girl in the tee shirt notices the approaching Louds. She places her load down on the grass and walks toward the approaching group.

"Greetings." she says. "As my dad might say. What can I do ya for?"

Lynn shoves Lincoln forward. Her not too subtle way of electing him as spokesperson for the group. The tee shirted girl gives the cutest little giggle upon noticing the tomboy's move on her brother.

Lincoln extends his hand. "Hello, my name is Lincoln Loud and these are my sisters. We've come to welcome you to the neighborhood."

"So you're the welcome wagon, eh?" As the girl takes his hand and shakes it, Lincoln is struck by two things. One, is the fact that she's only about as tall as he is. Two, are her eyes. He's never seen anyone with amber colored eyes before. "My name is Rebecca. Pleased to meet you and your...sisters. Holy jumping Hanna there's a lot of you." 

She causally steps over to girls and looks them all over. "Sorry for staring." she finally says but I've got a little game I like to play when meeting a new family. Now let's see if I can pull it off." 

"What are you planning on doing?" asks Luna. 

"Oh, I'm going to see if I can guess your order of birth. In descending order, that is." She locks eyes with Lori. "Oh, you're too easy. You're the oldest."

Lori looks at Rebecca. "Oh, that's just a lucky guess." 

Rebecca shakes her head. "No ma'am. Luck doesn't even enter into it..." 

The blonde takes a moment to realize why Rebecca has paused. "Oh, sorry. My name's Lori."

"Lori? Lovely name. But as I said luck had nothing to do with it. It's the way that you stand. Your very stance reeks of authority. You're the big lady in charge. Am I right?"

"Well." Lori responds a little sheepishly.

"Now sunshine, you're next on the birthday train." Rebecca says to Leni. 

"Wow, you're good." The second eldest Loud sibling says. 

"And you're the sunshiny heart of this family." says the little blonde.

Lincoln smiles and says, "That's our Leni, alright."

Rebecca returns her gaze to the group. "Hello, number three and your name is?" 

"Luna," the rocker responds.

"Ahh, named for Earth's traveling companion." Rebecca says with a smile. "Let's see, we have the authoritative one, the sunshine and you're obviously the rocker in the family. You strike me as the easy going type. However, still waters indeed run deep. You've got a heart so large that your body can barely contain it."

"I'll vouch for that." Lincoln pipes in.

Rebecca turns to the white haired boy and then with a raised eyebrow looks back to Luna. "Hmmm, do I detect a bit of a...special relationship here?"

"Totes." Leni says, "These two have had a special bond since pretty much the day Linky was born."

Rebecca again turns to Lincoln and her amber eyes practically sparkle as she says, "Linky? Oh, I like that. I hope that we get to know one another well enough so I can call you that, as well." At that Lincoln can only blush. Again, their new neighbor turns her attention to the group. Her grin turns into a full blown smile. "Number four, c'mon down!"

"Luan Loud, at your service." Rebecca can barely contain a chuckle as she looks over Luan as she pumps her arm in a hearty handshake. She is taller than her by at least a head and seems to be made up of not much more than arms and legs. She then looks to the ventriloquist's dummy the young girl is carrying. "And who might you be?"

"My name is Mr. Coconuts, toots." the dummy answers.

Rebecca looks Mr. Coconuts right in the eye, "I asked because I once dated a guy from New Jersey that dressed a lot like you." The little blonde then gives a little shudder which solicits a sidelong look from the dummy as it slowly turns its head toward the blonde. Luan, however, is surprised to see Rebecca doing the same slow turn with the same lidded eyes. Then as their gazes meet they both give the same surprised expression. This causes both girls to melt into peels of laughter.

"Oh great, there's two of them now." Lori says shaking her head and face palming.

Luan wipes away a tear from her eye. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Rebecca replies in the worst Bogart impression ever. "Here's looking at you kid."

From behind the pink tee wearing blonde, "That one should get old Humphrey turning in his grave." As Rebecca turns the Louds notice a young man moving toward them. He is ever so slightly taller than Rebecca and his physique is thin but wiry. The older Loud girls get a good look due to the fact that he is sans a shirt.

Rebecca rolls her eyes, "Will you please put a shirt on. You know that your skin and the sun don't get along all that well." Turns back to the Louds. "I swear ever since he started working out with my dad he thinks he's Mr. Universe or something." The girls notice that he was indeed pretty pale making the fact of his extremely dark hair or the more striking. On his eyes are a pair of very dark, very custom looking shades.

The young man dabs the perspiration from his face and torso with a kerchief. "You're supposed to be helping unpack the van but instead I find you out here goofing off."

With a tiny gasp and a look of shock on her face, Rebecca turns with her hands on her hips. "I'll have you know that I am not goofing off. I am getting to know some of our new neighbors." She playfully punches the young man in the chest.

Leni giggles and then asks, "Is he your brother?"

Rebecca laughs and jerks a thumb in her companion's direction. "My brother? This lump? Oh, heaven forbid! No, this is my husband, Drake Temeson."

The Louds suddenly look as if they'd be collectively smacked in the back of the head with a 2x4. "Your husband?!" Lori shouts. "Just how old are you?" 

"Me?" Rebecca says pointing at herself. "I'm 21 years old. Soon to be 22."

"B-But..." Lincoln stammers.

Rebecca sighs. "Yes, I know. I have a growth issue. I haven't grown in height since I was..." Turns to her husband. "...17?"

Cocks his head to one side, "Hmmm, actually I think it's more like since you were 16. That's when we first met, remember?"

Rebecca's face scrunches up, "Really? I haven't grown since I was 16? Then again, you haven't gotten much taller since I've known you." Turns back to the Louds. "Just goes to show that we were truly meant for each other. We're both vertically challenged." She looks down at her chest and shrugs. "Well, at least my boobs got a bit bigger." The group shares a good laugh at her statement.

Lynn bounces forward. "C'mon, which one of us is next on the birthday train?"

"Why you are, of course." Rebecca replies with a smile. "You're all about sports. To you sports is not a thing to be followed but a religion to be practiced."

"Oh, c'mon, how can you figure that just by looking at me?" Lynn says folding her arms over her chest.

"Your battle scars. You display them proudly like badges of honor." The little blonde says pointing out the many visible scrapes, bruises and slight lacerations. "So either you're the clumsiest girl on the planet or you participate in a shed load of sports."

"You _are_ good." Lynn says giving Rebecca a crooked smile.

"Well, it doesn't hurt that one tomboy can normally pick up on another one" Drake says with a chuckle.

Lynn's eyes brighten. "You used to be a tomboy?" 

Rebecca goes to answer but finds herself cut off by her husband. "What used to be? She still is, at heart."

"Sheesh! You break one guy's hand in high school and you're labeled for life."

A broad smile races across Lynn's features. "You broke a guy's hand?"

"Listen I gave him every chance to remove his hand from my person. He didn't, so I broke it." Looks at the Loud females. "What can I say? I don't liked to be pawed." The girls give a cheer and gather around her patting her on the back and shoulders. Leni goes as far as to hug her.

Lincoln turns to Drake, "I think you've just lost your wife to my sisters."

Drake nods in agreement. "And you've just picked up another sister."

Rebecca finally is able to disengage from the Lincoln's siblings. "Wooo! Leni is a lot stronger than she looks." She places her hands on the back of her hips and bends backward. "I think she bent my spine a little."

"Sorry about that." Lincoln says, "Leni can get a little...overenthusiastic with her hugging."

Rebecca smiles and gives Lincoln a dismissive wave. "So'kay. I've survived worse." 

"Okay, whose next?" the twins says in unison. 

Rebecca waves her hand. "That totes easy. It's this guy." She says as she places a small hand on Lincoln's shoulder. "Middle child. The lynch pin of the family. Being the only male sibling makes you special to these ladies. You are both big brother and little brother. I'm sure it can't be easy all the time." She gives him a smile and a little wink.

Drake gives the boy a nudge. "Don't let her incriminate you kid. The wolves are listening."

Lincoln looks at his sisters and Rebecca can pretty much see the love he has for them in his eyes. "No need to say anything my good fellow. I read your face." She now looks over the remainder of the girls. "To be honest it gets easier from here on. Hello, little miss darkness."

"Hello. My name is Lucy."

"Well, Lucy I'm willing to bet that you have the prettiest eyes hidden behind those bangs." The little blonde says as she takes a knee in front of the little goth Loud. "Not easy being the...different one, is it?"

"No, it is not." Lucy answers in a whisper.

Rebecca puts her hands on the youngster's shoulders. "Well if you ever need to talk with someone who knows about being different. You know where I live."

"Thank you, Rebecca." Lucy says as she gives her new found friend a quick hug.

Lola pipes up, "You'll never guess which one of us is the older twin."

Rebecca places her right arm on top of her abdomen. She then rests it's partner's elbow atop it and rest her chin in the palm of her hand and taps the end of her nose with her pinkie. "Well, it certainly isn't you, princess."

Lola's mouth falls open. "Whaaaaat?"

"In the six years I've observed my family's own twins I've noticed that the younger twin tends to try to usurp the perceived power of the elder by being more demanding or, as you just did, talk over the elder." She then smiles prettily at the younger twin.

Luna laughs, "She shot you down, Lola. Hey, Rebecca do your twins fight all the time like Lola and Lana?"

"They didn't at first and that was because Lance was extremely introverted. However, as grew older he began asserting himself more where his twin sister is concerned." She turns and calls toward the house. "Lance. Nightfall. Can you two step out here for a moment, please?" After a few moments. "No, not right now." Is the reply in a high pitched female voice. "C'mon, Nightie. I asked nicely and everything." The reply comes almost immediately. "Well, that was nice of you to do so but..."

Then it comes. A voice so loud and booming that seems that very house itself has found a voice. "Get your butts out there and see what your sister wants. NOW!"

Drake pumps his fist, "Damn, I wish I could do that."

"W-What the heck was that, a b-bear?" Luan stammers.

Drake shakes his head. "Oh, it's nothing as pleasant as that. That was the voice from on high."

"That was my dad." Rebecca says. "And his no nonsense voice. Ahh, there's the twins now."

Stepping out of the house the twins make their way to the group on the lawn. They are both six years old and about the size of Lola & Lana. They are both fair skinned but where Lance's hair is as white as Lincoln's, Nightfall's is as black as Lucy's. Though hers falls half way down her back.

"Well, why didn't you say that we had company, sis?" Nightfall says with a smile. "Oh, look Lance they have a set of twins, too." She steps over and extends a hand to Lola. "Nightfall Fairmont, pleased to meet you."

Lola shakes the girl's extended hand. "Lola Loud and the pleasure is all mine." Lana pushes her way in and shakes Nightfall's hand. "How're doin'? Name's Lana Loud." Lola rolls her eyes. "Yeah, little miss fix it of the upstate area." Nightfall laughs, "Like working with your hands, huh? Well, I've no problem with that."

Lola's face falls. "Oh, no. Say it isn't so."

Nightfall shrugs. "Sorry, but like my big sis here, I'm a bit of a princess and a tomboy." 

Rebecca quickly looks around. "Where did Lance get off to? I swear that boy is real spook." Lori taps her on the shoulder, "Look over there." Rebecca looks in the direction indicated and a smile breaks across her face. "Well, I'll be dipped."

Everyone watches as the quietest members of both families introduce themselves. "Hi, my name is Lucy." With a slightest of smiles the littlest of the Fairmonts responds, "Please to meet you Lucy. My name is Lance. It's short for Lancelot. You know, like the knight." Lucy's lips curl into a tiny smile. "Wicked. I like your hair." The boy self-consciously plays with the bang that covers his left eye. "Thanks. I like yours too."

"That is literally the cutest thing I've ever seen." Lori says.

Drake moves over to stand next to the eldest Loud. "Lance hardly ever speaks with anyone so readily."

"No kidding. Rebecca adds. "This is downright forward of him...and I think I like it."

Leni leans in between Lori and Drake, "OMG! They are totes adorbs."

From behind Leni a silky smooth female voice is heard. "Who is it that is, as you said, totes adorbs?"

Leni turns as she answers. "Like, my sister Lucy and the little Fairmont boy. Oh, my."

Lori looks a her sister and then at the person she's addressing. "Oh, my."

Rebecca turns. "Oh, hi mom."

"Hello, sweetheart. Why didn't you let me know that we had neighbors visiting?" she says looking out over the assembled group. "My name is Alicia Fairmont and I'm the grand old lady of the family." She looks at Leni and smiles. "Oh, a fellow sunglasses fashionista, I see." She lifts the brim of her sunhat, slips her shades to end of her nose and peers over top of them giving Leni a little wink.

The teenagers eyes go wide and a smile spreads across her face. "Oh...my...Gosh! You have bunny eyes!"

To this the 6'4" female erupts into a fit of laughter. "Bunny eyes! Well, I've found my favorite." Alicia says as she hugs Leni to her. The big female does indeed have 'bunny eyes'. Her pale skin, her long luxurious shock of white hair and the eyes tie it all together. Alicia Fairmont, mother of four is indeed a full fledged albino.

Meanwhile Nightfall and Lana are moving off from the group. "Hey mom, Lana and I are going around back to check out The Beast." Alicia gives a little wave. "Okay, but try not to get underfoot back there."

"The Beast?" Lori asks looking more than just a little concerned.

"You needn't worry, dear. The Beast is just the nickname for our family transport." The Fairmont matriarch reassures the teenager. Her attention is then drawn to her shirtless son-in-law. "Drake, dearest, would you mind putting a shirt on or do you _want_ me to jump your bones right here in front of the neighbors?"

Drake suddenly has a bit of a coughing spell. He then clears his throat, "I'll...uh...be right back."

Rebecca watches her husband beat a hasty retreat to the house. She then turns to her mother, "Muh-THER, you really have to stop doing that to him. You know acting like that gets him all flustered and what not."

Alicia gives her daughter a rather girlish giggle. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I just can't help myself sometimes. I mean he's always been small of stature but now that he's been working out with your father he's buffed up somewhat."

"I'll say." Lori blurts out almost unconsciously."

Rebecca turns to her with a totally shocked expression. "Am I going to have trouble with you concerning my husband, Lori?"

"W-Well, I...you...uh see." The eldest Loud sibling stammers and finally sighs, "I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that. It just popped out on its own."

"That's okay, Lori gal, cause in a few years I'm going to dump that lump of a husband and steal this fine specimen away from you." Rebecca pulls Lincoln to her side. "I mean, look at this cutie." The little blonde takes the young boy's arm and leans into him. "Whaddaya say, big guy. Ever considered a fling with an older woman?" The only male Loud sibling turns beet red and begins to sweat. "Oh, he's just so sweet. I'm going to dip him in my coffee."

Drake returns wearing a black Monster Energy Drink shirt just in time to hear his wife's comments about her plans for Lincoln. "So I step away for a minute and when I come back I find that you have designs on my wife, Mr. Loud."

"No, sir! I-I haven't any d-designs whatsoever!" The flustered youngster replies.

With a laugh and slap on the back, Drake relieves the youngster of his anxiety. "No probs, Lincoln. I'm just jerking your chain."

"I can't believe that Lance has been talking with Lucy all this time." Rebecca says. "I mean, it usually takes him two or three days to warm up to people."

"It's pretty much the same with Lucy, as well." Lori says. "Maybe each feels the other has something in common. Anyway, it's good to see."

"So, Lori, is there any more of you at home or is this it?" asks Alicia. 

"Just two. Our sister Lisa said she had something going on and had to stay home to monitor it. Then there's Lily, she's one year old and stayed with mom and dad."

"I can't wait to meet them and your parents. Meeting you and your sibling has been a real experience."

Drake chuckles, "Welp, that's that. The Loud siblings now has themselves two mothers."

Rebecca nods in agreement. "Oh yeah, that's for sure." Turns to Lori and Leni (the latter finding herself still in Alicia's embrace) You see when you're young and she likes you she tends to get a little...motherly. But not in a bad way. See how she's latched onto Leni? That's it, Leni. You and I are sisters now."

"I just adore her honest reaction to my eyes." Alicia gives the teen another little squeeze. "There was no trying to hide her feelings. She was just simply...overjoyed. We are going to be great friends, aren't we Leni?"

"If you say so, ma'am." Leni answers.

The tall albino's face takes on a rather shocked expression. "Ma'am? Oh, Leni that makes me sound so old. You have my permission to call me by my first name. Alicia. After all, we're going to be fashion buddies, right?"

"Right you are, Alicia!" Leni responds with a wide smile. "Like, the local mall won't know what hit it when we're through!"

Meanwhile, Lana and Nightfall have made their way around to the back of the house where they come across a small group of vehicles.

"Your family sure has a lot of cars, Nightfall." Lana says as she looks the collection over. "All we have is Vanzilla."

"Vanzilla?" The little raven haired girl questions. "That's a strange nickname for the family car."

"Well, I think that it came off the line somewhere in the middle of the last century and it's a real monster to keep running." Lana says as she looks over a red Corvette convertible with a creamy white interior. "Wow, this is really nice."

"Oh, that's my mom's car." Nightfall says as she laughs. "Dad says that she's got the whole midlife crisis thing all backward. He says that he's the one that should be buying the sports cars in the family." She steps over to a big, black Cadillac Escalade. "This is, as my dad calls it, the Family Truckster."

Lana looks into the vehicle's interior, "Hey, this baby's been modified to seat an extra three passengers bringing it's capabilities from seven to ten passengers." She feels along the exterior with her tiny hand. "Wow, whoever did the work really knew what they were doing. I can't see or feel a seam anywhere. It's as smooth as Lily's butt."

"Hmmm, sounds like someone really knows her onions."

Lana freezes in her tracks at the sound of the disembodied voice. It is the same that they'd heard earlier but without the edge of annoyance it held then. The little Loud sister makes her way further along the back of the house. Past the little gold colored Miata that Rebecca uses for tooling around town and heavily modified Hummer H3. Finally she comes across the biggest vehicle in the collection. It is a full out six wheeled military monster. "Lana Loud, meet...The Beast." Nightfall says with a bit of a flourish." Lana stares and a whispered, "Wow" escapes her lips. "Yeah, the old girl kinda takes your breath away, doesn't she?" Lana continues to stare open mouthed. "Yeah, but not as much as he does."

The youngster watches while the patriarch of the Fairmont family works on the engine of the of the huge vehicle. She watches as he secures a part using a torque wrench that's longer than she is. He's wearing a wife beater t-shirt so she can see muscles that look like bridge cables flex under the skin of his shoulders and arms. Once he is satisfied as to the installation of the new part he turns to the six year old. "Well, you're a might younger than I figured for someone so knowledgeable about custom auto work." The big man wipes his hands on a rather dirty looking towel and extends a hand toward her that could easily envelop her entire head. "Name's Alexander Fairmont and who might you be?"

Lana continues to stare only now it's the scars on the left side of the big man's face. He quickly picks up on this and with a smile says, "Got this mug from being on the wrong side of a very cranky claymore mine. I'm lucky it didn't take my fool head off. Claymores can be temperamental like that." His statement causes Lana to chuckle and then laugh. "There, that's better." The little blonde extends her tiny hand and his engulfs hers and the ice is officially broken. "My name is Lana Loud, sir." Alex looks down at Lana with a pleasant smile. "Sir? Well, I must say that it's refreshing to hear someone so young with good manners." Looking to his daughter and then beyond. "Hey, Munchkin, where's your brother?"

"Oh, him?" Nightfall replies with a wicked little grin. "He's busy talking with...a girl."

"Really?" Her father says with a shocked look. "Do me a favor and check the sky for pigs."

"It's the truth. Impossible as it may sound. He actually walked off with Lana's sister Lucy. Hey, need any help with The Beast?"

"As a matter of fact, Munchkin, I do."

"Give me a minute to duck inside and put on my overalls." With that Nightfall leaves her new found friend with her father.

Alex turns back to The Beast with a shake of his head. "Well, I'll be damned. Will wonders never cease? Lance actually speaking with someone he just met...and a girl no less."

"Excuse me, sir." Lana says taking a few steps closer. "But what's the big deal about your son talking with my sister?"

The big man turns back with a chuckle. "You see, Lance is painfully introverted and normally gives someone he's just met a polite hello and not much more."

"Oh," Lana says, "He sounds a whole lot like my sister, Lucy. We call her Spooky. She tends to keep to herself most of the time."

"Hmmm, maybe that's it." He says looking around. "Now where did I put that blasted...? Oh, there you are." Reaches down a picks up a box. "You know, that whole kindred spirit thing. You sister wouldn't happen to be a budding goth, would she?"

"Oh, she most certainly would. That's why we call her Spooky. Oh, a new starter motor, huh?" 

Alex smiles, "I was right. Someone really does know her onions. Say, you wouldn't happen to know about replacing on of these things, would you?"

"Are you kidding? Old Vanzilla chews up starter motors like nobody's business. My dad's shown me plenty of times how to change one out."

"Well, hallelujah with a whoop and a holler! Do you mind getting a little dirty? I'll make it worth your while."

"Heck, I'd get dirty for nothing!" Lana says with a big grin. "Just show me where the tools are ."

"They're right there up against that wall. You'll be needing a 1.25" socket and don't forget your eye protection, little one."

Lana picks out the prescribed socket and attaches it to a small electric impact wrench. She gives the trigger a couple squeezes and with a grin lies down on a nearby creeper and rolls under the massive vehicle. "Wow you really are a big one, aren't ya girl?"

"That she is, Lana but the starter motor is kinda hard for a big lug like me to get to." Alex starts to unbolt the intake manifold from the top of the engine. "I'm pretty sure you know that I just can't take this thing to the local mechanic and put up on the lift."

"Hey, guys! I'm back!" announces Nightfall as she return in a set of black overalls with "Monster In Training" embroidered on the front.

"Good timing Munchkin. You can give Lana a hand changing out the starter motor."

"Yes, sir!" The youngest of the Fairmont clan makes for the front of the vehicle when she hears her friend exclaim, "Dang it!" This stops her in her tracks. "Problem, Lana?"

"Just the usual. Four bolts hold it in place and wouldn't you know it's the fourth one doesn't want to budge."

"Say no more. Penetrating lube and a ratchet wrench. What size?" 

"One and a quarter inch."

"Gotcha!" The little girl effortlessly leaps the fifteen or so feet to the tool cabinet. As soon as she lands she feels her father's eyes on her. She sheepishly turns to see him shaking his head. She mouths, "Sorry." and retrieves the items she needs and walks them back to her friend. "Here you go, Lana." She looks back to her father to see that the disapproving scowl has been replaced by a smile.

"Thanks, Nightfall." Lana says as she sprays a healthy amount of penetrating lube on the offending fastener. "I guess we've no choice but to wait for the lube to do its job."

"Oh, I don't know about that, Lana. Let me have a crack at that sucker." Nightfall says while crawling under the massive vehicle. She slaps the ratchet on the bolt and gives two pulls before it comes loose.

"Whoa! My dad always said that you had to wait."

Nightfall simply shrugs, "It was probable just some surface rust on the threads and it melted away as soon as the lube hit it."

"Whatever," Lana shrugs. "let's get this bad boy changed out."

Working together the elder twin of the Loud family and the younger twin of the Fairmont clan finish their task in short order. Upon inspection, Alex commends them for making sure that the teeth of the starter motor meshes properly with the teeth of the flywheel. "Very good ladies. I've known professional mechanics that screw up with that little detail. A job very well done." He turn and the sight of the two miniature mechanics spattered with engine grime and oil causes him to chuckle. He then reaches into his back pocket and takes out his wallet and from there he takes two fifty dollar bills. Handing one to each girl he says, "Cheap at twice the price."

Lana's eyes go wide, "Geee thanks, Mr. F."

"Thanks daddy." Nightfall squeals as she jumps up and down.

"You're very welcome. Now, Munchkin take Lana inside so she can..."

"Lana are you back here?"

"Yeah, Lori!"

The eldest of the Loud children comes around the corner. "I think we've taken up enough of the Fairmonts' time. We'd best be heading ho...Oh my!"

"Greetings, Ms. Loud. Welcome to Casa Fairmont. Lori, is it? My but the females in this family just keep getting prettier and prettier.

The seventeen year old just stands in place and utters a rather goofy laugh.

"Hello! Earth to Lori!" Lana shouts. That snaps the young woman out of her seizure-like moment. "Oh, sorry. Uh, we'd best...Wait a minute. How did you get so dirty?"

"I'm sorry but I take full responsibility for that." He takes a few steps to close the gap between Lori and himself. "She's a fine little mechanic and she was helping me work on this old heap of mine." He extends a hand. "Name's Alexander Fairmont, Ms. Loud." Lori offers her hand but instead of shaking it he takes it in his massive right hand, holds it for a couple of seconds and then places his left hand atop it. Looks into the blonde's eyes and daintily bends over and plants a small kiss on the back of her hand. Once again her eyes unfocus and she emits that goofy laugh. Lana walks over and swats her sister on the arm. "SNAP OUT OF IT, WOMAN!" Once again the teenager's eyes focus and she shyly looks down at the ground between her and the towering patriarch of the Fairmont clan.

Well, as I was saying before the lovely Ms. Lori showed up. Munchkin, take Lana inside so she can clean up a little. I certainly don't want to send her back looking too filthy. That would be a black eye against me with her parents."

The youngest Fairmont takes her friend by the hand and leads her into the back door of the house.

"It really wouldn't be a black eye against you, Mr. Fairmont." Lori says with a rather timid voice, "She's always coming back home with dirt or mud all over her."

Alex chuckles, a sound that seems to rumble up from his barrel chest and comes spilling out of his throat. "A real tomboy, eh?"

"Very much so." Lori responds with a pretty smile.

"I should go and see you guys off." Alex says with a grin. "I mean it's the least I can do considering I put your little sister to work."

As Lori returns to the group out on the lawn all Loud eyes are drawn to the mountain of bone, muscle and skin that walks behind her. He indeed casts a rather long and deep shadow. Standing at all of seven feet tall while looking as wide as the front end of a Peterbilt tractor-trailer and tipping the scales at 330lbs.

Leni notices that Luna's jaw has gone completely slack. So she turns to see what her sister is looking at. "O..M..G." she says. Alicia turns and matter of factly comments, "Oh, that's just my husband, Alexander." Twitch spins around happily, "Hey, papa bear! Finally finished fussing around with that old rust bucket?"

"For the time being, princess." he answers. "Oh, for the love of...Alicia, let the poor girl go."

His wife looks at him with a mock pout. "No! She's my favorite and we're going to be great friends. She said that I have bunny eyes!"

With a smile plastered on his face, Alex looks at the teenager in question. "Really...bunny eyes?" Leni looks up into big man's green eyes. "Well, she does, doesn't she?" The big man chuckles, "That she does but you're the first one to point it out."

Pulling the teenager to her in a one arm hug, Alicia says, "Most adults tend to skirt the issue of my eyes. They act as though they hadn't even noticed them."

Leni puts her index finger to her chin and looks up into the albino's _bunny eyes_. "Isn't that like kinda...I don't know...stupid?"

"Yes. Yes it is, my dear." Alicia replies with a smile. "So, Leni, what say I let you show me around the local mall tomorrow?"

"O...M...Gosh! We can like make a day of it." The teen responds gleefully clapping her hands.

"Well, it is now official." Rebecca says shaking her head. "You guys have lost a sister."

"Or, like you said earlier, we've gained a second mother." Luna says.

"That might be a good thing when one considers how big your family is. I mean, your folks can probably use all the help they can get." Drake jokingly says.

Alex nudges his daughter. "Where the heck is your brother?"

"Not to worry Mr. Fairmont. He and Lucy are just sitting together on our porch." Luna says as she points in the direction of the Loud residence. "It looks like they've taken a liking to one another."

Rebecca arches an eyebrow, "No offense meant but you sister looks somewhat...emo."

Lincoln laughs, "Really? What was your first clue? Lucy has been like this almost her whole life."

"Well, that explains it." the Fairmont matriarch says. "About a year ago my little Lance starting taking interest in all things dark. He went as far as to request he be allowed to dye his hair black. I threw the brakes on that idea. I, however, did allowed him to get his hair styled the way he wanted."

"Oh, I think that his little half bang is like totes cute." Leni says. "Alicia, I noticed that his and Nightfall's eyes are like...crystalline blue but their complexions are nearly as fair as yours." Alicia smiles at her new found friend. "And you're wondering why they don't have eyes like mine." The teenager simply nods in response. "That's due to their father's genetic contribution. Nightfall and Lance just missed being true albinos like me. Their eye color is what mine would be if not for my albinism."

Suddenly the air is shattered by an ear piercing whistle. Rebecca turns to her father and snaps, "DAD...I've asked you time and time again to warn us before you do that!"

The big man looks around rather sheepishly, "Oh yeah. Sorry about that everyone. My bad."

About thirty yards away young Lancelot Fairmont suddenly stands and looks in the direction of the whistle. He then looks back to new friend. "It would seem that I have to go now. I really enjoyed our little talk Lucy"

"As did I Lance." Lucy replies with the hint of a smile. "You're pretty cool for a little kid."

The six year old blushes and absentmindedly plays with his half bang. "Well, I think you're pretty cool, too. I would really like to hear more about your Great Grandma Harriet. She sounds like a really cool lady."

"Oh, she is." Lucy replies and flashes true smile at her young friend. The youngster returns her smile while blushing even deeper. "Well, I"ll be seeing you, Lucy Loud." With that the young lad turns and walks away. Lucy watches his retreating form. "Sigh. He has an old soul." The little goth girl stands up, brushes off her black dress, turns and enters her home.


	2. Chapter 2: Rita Lishi & Leni

Chapter Two

Rita, Lishi & Leni

Later that afternoon the Loud family meet in their living room. There Lynn Sr. and Rita listen intently as their children tell them of their new neighbors, The Fairmonts. During the gathering everyone is shocked when Lana reveals to them a crisp fifty dollar bill.

"Just where did you get that, young lady?" her mom asks.

"Mr. Fairmont gave it to me for helping him with The Beast."

Lynn Sr.'s face contorts, "The what?"

"The Beast." Lana repeats. "It's this gigantic, six-wheeled vehicle that Mr. Fairmont keeps around back of his house. Me and Nightfall installed a new starter motor in it for him. You see, he's a rather large guy and..."

"I'll say he's large, all right." Lori interjects while, once again, a rather goofy expression creeps across her features.

"...annnnd he has trouble getting under The Beast." The little tomboy says while glaring at her oldest sibling. "So, me and Nightfall swapped out the old starter motor for a new one. Mr. Fairmont said that we did an excellent job and that it was cheap at twice the price." The last part is said with obvious pride on Lana's part.

"And just who is Nightfall?" her father questions.

Oh, she's like, the Fairmonts' little girl." Leni answers for her sister. "Wait till you meet her. She is like, totes adorbs. What's more, her brother Lance and Lucy like, hit it all rather well. You should have seen them talking together. It was like, so cute."

Lucy gives the tiniest of shrugs, "He's just recently started exploring the darkness and I was just giving him a few pointers on the subject. I mean, he's pretty cool for a little kid."

Luan laughs, " 'Little kid'? You're only two years older than he is, Lucy."

"Yeah, and maybe he likes older women, little dudette." Luna quips. To that the rocker notices that the little goth blushes ever so slightly. "Ohhhh, I think that my little sister just may have been taken in by Lance's deep blue eyes."

"Okay, guys. Let's lay off of Spooky." Lincoln says coming to his sister's rescue placing a protective arm around her shoulders and giving her a little squeeze. His action elicits a tiny smile from Lucy as she says, "Thank you, big brother."

Lori smiles, "Speaking of getting along. Don't you have something to ask mom and dad about, Leni?"

For a moment the blonde's face is frozen in an almost expressionless condition. Then she blinks once, twice, thrice. "Oh, yeah! Thanks Lori. Mom...Dad, is it okay if I like, go to the mall with Alicia tomorrow?"

"Alicia?" both parents question.

"That's Mrs. Fairmont's first name. She pretty much literally insisted that Leni address her by her first name since she was sure that they were going to be good friends." Lori says.

"I'm sure that we will be. She like, called me a fellow fashionista, mom. Can I go...please?" Leni pleads.

Rita knows just how much fashion means to her second oldest child but the idea of her daughter going off alone with a woman that she just met and that she herself hasn't even laid eyes on. Well, to say the least the idea sets off a few alarm bells in her head.

"Well, Leni," Rita speaks choosing her words carefully. "I would really like to have a chance to meet her first. Can you arrange to have her pick you up here?"

Leni smiles and nods her head. "That's what she planned on doing. She said she'd like to meet you. You know like, mom to mom."

To this Rita smiles and thinks, _**I've got to admit that this Alicia has already scored a few brownie points. A mother to mother meeting is the proper thing to do.**_ "Okay sweetie, we'll see about you going after I've had a few minutes with her."

"Thanks, mom." Leni says with her usual bright smile. "Oh, like, fair warning. Alicia has bunny eyes."

"B-Bunny eyes?" Rita inquires incredulously.

"Yeah. She's like an...Alsatian."

The children all slap themselves in the forehead in unison.

"No," Lola says. "She's an albino. Sheesh!"

"Really?" Rita says with her eyebrows arching. _**This should prove interesting.**_

The following morning at 11:15 the doorbell of the Loud residence is heard. As Rita leaves the kitchen to answer it she hears Leni shouting from upstairs, "That's probably Alicia now. Tell her I'll be like, ready in a little bit." Her mother smiles while shaking her head. "Take your time sweetheart." She then opens the door.

"Because it will give us moms a little time to get to know one another." Alicia says with a wide smile.

Rita returns the woman's warm smile while extending her hand to her. "Good morning, Alicia. My name's Rita and I'm very pleased to meet you."

Taking the woman's hand, Alicia responds, "As am I to meet you."

"Come in and have a seat in the living room."

As the tall woman enters and Rita closes the door she takes stock of her guest's appearance. The matriarch of the Fairmont family is wearing a pair of red capri pants. They are form fitting without being too tight. On her feet are a pair of matching red flats. Her torso is clothed in a simple, white button down shirt and on her head is a red scarf. Her long white hair is done up in a single braid. On her eyes is a pair of sunglasses not too different from the pair that her daughter wears atop her head.

"Rita, if it's all the same to you I'd rather sit in the kitchen while we talk. I've always felt more comfortable in the kitchen. Living rooms are so...I don't know...formal."

Rita gives her guest a genuine smile, "I know what you mean. The kitchen it is then. Can I get you something? A cup of coffee maybe?"

"I'd love a cup, thank you." She takes a seat and looks at the shelf above the rather large coffee maker. There she sees a line of mugs all with names inscribed on them. Lynn Sr., Rita, Lori, Luna & Luan. "I see that three of your older girls are coffee drinkers."

"Yes, I guess it's a habit that they picked up from my husband and myself. How do you like your coffee?"

"On the light side with two sugars, thank you." I notice that Leni doesn't seem to have a coffee mug."

"Oh, she never got into the coffee habit. Her thing is smoothies. She's a real fiend for them."

Alicia chuckles, "She and my daughter Nightfall can get together on that topic. I must make sure that she has a constant supply of makings for her smoothies or I have to deal with a pouty face for the rest of the morning." She takes the large cup of coffee handed to her. She then watches as the mother of eleven takes the seat opposite her. "So, Rita. I take it that you wanted this chance to check me out?"

Rita Loud nearly does a spit-take into her coffee cup. "Well, I...uh...I'm..."

"You're only being a cautious mother, is all. There's no offense taken on my part. I mean, a woman you don't even know plans on taking one of your children on a day trip to the local mall. Heck, I'd be suspicious, too." She smiles and removes her shades. A slight gasp escape's from the woman across from her. Immediately Rita puts a hand to her lips and looks away in embarrassment. "Not to worry, Rita. I understand that my appearance can be somewhat shocking at first." The albino reaches out and places her hand on top of Rita's. "Again, no offense taken. You're just being human."

Rita returns her neighbor's smile as she clears her throat. "It's just I worry more about my Leni because..."

"She's a beautiful innocent." Alicia finishes.

Rita nods. "I'm always worried that someone might try to take advantage of my baby." Taking a sip from her cup, Alicia nods. "When she came home all head up about finding a friend that shared her interest in fashion, I was happy for her. Poor thing doesn't make friends very easily due to...the way she is."

"Well, I'll be her friend. What's more, I'll look out for her...as you would."

Rita looks deep into the albino's rose colored eyes. She looks hard trying to find some inkling of deception. As she does, Alicia's gaze doesn't falter in the slightest. She locks eyes with the blonde across from her. In those eyes the mother of four can see all the worry and trepidation a mother has for her children in this day and age. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, Rita breaks eye contact and smiles. In her neighbor's eyes she found the conviction to back up her words of assurance. She somehow realizes that as long as Alicia Fairmont draws breath her daughter would be safe.

Finally, at the stroke of noon, Leni Loud finally makes her way down stairs. From the kitchen she can hear her mother's and Alicia's voices. The teen smiles to herself, ** _Like, listen to them. They're talking as if they've known each for like, years._ ** She takes this as a definite good sign. As she turns into the kitchen a piercing squeal escapes her throat. "OMG! We're dressed almost the same!" Indeed the color scheme is the same. The differences being that the teen wears red form fitting jeans and a white tee that shows off her trim tummy. However, the flats are exactly the same as the ones Alicia wears.

Alicia stands and throws her arms open. "It's like we're sisters!" Leni rushes in and embraces the older woman. "Albeit, I'm a much older sister."

"This is going to be like, so much fun, Alicia." Leni gleefully says.

Alicia turns to Rita, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her, Rita."

"I know you will. Have fun you two."

"We will, mom." Both females say as they head out the door.

Lori comes walking down the stairs and stands next to her mother with her arms folded over her torso. "Well, I guess, Alicia passed your interrogation?"

"With flying colors." Her mother says nodding. "I'd trust her with any one of you."

Fifteen minutes later finds Leni and Alicia tooling down Royal Woods' main drag towards the mall. During the entire ride Leni had reminded Alicia of a young puppy. Her head moving this way and that trying to take everything in.

"Leni, surely you've seen all this before. I mean, weren't you born in this town?" Alicia asks.

"Oh, for sure I was like, born here but when we come into town it is always in Vanzilla. Being in your car is like, totes amazing. I mean, I can like, see everything."

The woman smiles at the teenager's enthusiasm. "I take it this is your first time in a convertible?" Leni gives her a quick nod. "Oh, you poor, deprived child."

"You and my mom seem to be like, hitting it off pretty good when I came downstairs." Leni says looking over at her friend.

"Yeah, she just had to find out if I was trustworthy enough to bring you along on this little trip. Mall off the starboard bow, captain." Alicia carefully negotiates a lane change and pulls into the mall's parking structure. While waiting at the barrier for the automated attendant to dispense its parking pass, Alicia notices a couple of middle-aged men approaching her car. The larger of the two steps up and leans on the driver side door.

"Hey, why don't you let me and my friend here show you and your cute little friend a good time?"

Alicia can almost feel the youngster next to her tense up. She smiles and gives the man a shake of her head. "I don't think so. From here you and your bud look a disaster waiting to happen. Now, get off my car. I just him detailed."

The man's eyes first widen then narrow in anger. "Why you pale faced bitch! I have half a mind to..." The miscreant's words die in his throat as the woman removes her shades and fixes him with her gaze.

"You've got half a mind...period! I said, back off my car! Do it now before something bad happens to you." The man backs away slowly on stiff legs all the while unable to avert his eyes away from hers. "Good boy. Now, I suggest you walk on and live your life." With that she replaces her shades and pulls slowly away leaving the man wondering what the hell just happened.

Leni, finally releasing the breath she hadn't realized that she was holding, reaches over and puts her hand on her friend's shoulder. OMG! That was like, amazing. How did you..."

The albino chuckles, "Oh, sweetie...(Leni takes note of how much like her mom her friend sounds in this moment.)...these bunny eyes of mine can be very intimidating when I want them to be. Most people find them quite shocking. As you just witnessed. I wasn't about to let a turd like him ruin our day. Now, let's park this thing and go have some fun."

In a whirlwind of consumer action the blonde and the albino take Royal Woods Mall by storm. The duo hit practically every fashion themed store the place has to offer. When Alicia finds something that she feels would look great on her companion, Leni has no choice but to accept the gift. She tries to graciously refuse but her words fall upon deaf ears as Alicia simply purchases the item and shoves the into her hands. All the while other patrons observe them and can't help but smile at their enthusiasm. A couple of individuals comment on how they are such a lovely mother and daughter. To this they both chuckle and giggle and say thanks. The shopping spree eventually leads to the food court. After all, one must keep the shopping machine well fueled. Both women order burgers, fries and at Leni's insistence, smoothies.

"I totes like the way some people thought that we were mother and daughter." Leni says after swallowing a bite of her burger."

Alicia smiles, "Well, I could do far worse than to have you for a daughter."

The teenager clasps her hands together in joy, "Wow, that's like, really nice of you to say, Alicia. I mean, with me being...you know...the way I am." Leni lowers her eyes so she winds up staring at the meal in front of her. She feels Alicia lay her hand upon hers.

"Oh sweetheart, don't you go getting down on yourself. No one on this planet is perfect. No matter how many of them think they are. You're you and there's no one else like you. Your heart is so pure that my husband would say that you're too good for this world. C'mon, let me see that winning smile."

The young woman slowly lifts her and and seeing her friend's smile she can only return one in response. Alicia gently pats Leni's hand, "That's what I'm talking about. Let's finish up so we can continue our assault on this place." The teenager nods, " 'Kay but first I have to like, use the little girl's room."

As Leni gets up and happily walks towards the restrooms, Alicia catches notice of another woman getting up and heading to the facilities. Alicia mentally shrugs and picks up her drink and takes a pull on the straw. However, for some reason her attention remains on the woman as she makes her way behind Leni. Then suddenly, like a bolt from the blue it hits her that she recognizes the individual. ** _McTaggart!_ **, she inwardly screams as she rises and bolts after the woman.

In the restroom, Leni closes the door to stall and prepares to do her business. McTaggart, meanwhile has just closed the restroom door and is preparing to lock it when suddenly the door is pushed forcibly into her face. The impact stuns the woman and Alicia yanks her out the room. She easily drags the woman into the neighboring men's room which is fortunately unoccupied. The big albino locks the door and turns to her adversary who is just starting to regain her senses.

"I see you're still doing your masters' bidding like the obedient little lap dog that you are."

McTaggar sneers, "And I see that you're still the renegade's whore."

Alicia gives her adversary a mirthless smile. "Actually, I'm the renegade's _wife_ these days. So, snatching kids these days, eh? That's pretty low, even for The Colony."

"The Colony is in need of fresh blood." McTaggart counters as she slowly gets to her feet. "You... _Rangers_ have depleted our ranks and I don't have tell you how the young are easier...more pliable to our indoctrination methods."

Alicia rolls her eyes, " 'Indoctrination methods'. Why don't you just come right out and call it what it really is? Brainwashing!" Alicia says all the while noticing how McTaggart is slowly moving to her right trying to angle towards the door. "You'll never get to it and unlock it before I'm on you. You shall not have Leni or any of the Loud children. Not now. Not...ever!"

"That was always your problem, Ravencroft. You always led with your...HEART!"

The woman lunges at Alicia and the albino makes no move to avoid her attack. McTaggart's eyes go wide when she fails to do so much as to budge her opponent. She herself lifted off her feet and slammed into the tiled wall with a bone jarring impact that causes her to grunt in pain. There then comes another impact as she's slammed into the opposite wall. This time she cries out in pain as she feels her shoulder blade give way as the tile on the wall cracks and crumbles. McTaggart, now barely conscious is aware of the sensation of flying through the air, hitting a stall door and falling hard against the porcelain fixture within. She tries to clear her head but before she has the chance to draw three breaths her tormentor is once again upon her. She is effortlessly lifted by the collar till she finds herself practically nose to nose with the albino.

"You never could take me, you red-headed witch. Not on your best and me on my worst." Alicia growls. "Well, you needn't worry about coming across this... _whore_ ever again."

With that said, McTaggart feels her head shoved into the bowl and into the cold water within. She tries to fight against the larger woman but at this point it is like a weakened child fighting against an enraged adult. Alicia's rose colored eyes look dispassionately down at the back of the woman's head as her struggles lessen and finally cease. However, Alicia still holds her adversary's head under the cold water until the doomed woman's body begins to convulse in its death throes. Only when they cease does the albino release her iron-like grip.

Standing up and calmly closing the stall door, Alicia makes her way to the sink and thoroughly washes her hands. Looking at herself in the mirror she straightens her slightly disheveled outfit. After that she walks to the restroom door, unlocks it and looks nonchalantly back in the direction of the stall. "Bitch." she whispers as she exits the room. The entire incident has taken less than four minutes to transpire.

Alicia is back at the food court table and taking a bite of her burger. She smiles as she spots Leni returning from her restroom visit. She watches the cheerful teen's approach knowing that she is totally oblivious of her brush with danger. As she sits down the older woman smiles, "Did everything come out all right?"

Leni gives her a confused look and then her mouth drops open and she gives Alicia a dismissive wave of her hand. "Oh, you. Like, you're as bad as Luan." She then points, "Uh you have something on your shirt. It looks like ketchup."

Alicia looks down at a small group of red stains on her white shirt. "Oh, darn it." She shrugs, "Well, my husband always tells me that I look good in everything I eat." The two women share a laugh and then settle down and start to finish off their meals. During this time, Leni notices that Alicia's attention seems to be elsewhere.

"Is there like, something wrong, Alicia?"

Alicia's eyes snap back and focus on Leni, "Hmmm?"

"For a while it was like your mind was a thousand miles away. I'm the one that usually has that look."

"Oh, nothing to worry about. I was just thinking about what I said earlier back at the house. You know, about us being like sisters. It just got me to thinking about how all your siblings have names that start with 'L'. I figure I'll let you call me, Lishi.

"Lishi?" Leni queries.

"It's a nickname my husband gave me some time ago and I've grown rather fond of it."

"Lishi and Leni. I like, really like the sound of that." Leni says holding up her smoothie in an offered toast. Alicia follows suit and they tap their smoothie cups together.

6:25pm finds Alicia's car pulling up in front of the Loud residence. Leni climbs out carrying a half dozen bags with various logos emblazoned on them. Alicia follows her with just as many parcels with the same logos.

"We're like, back!" Leni announcing as she opens the door. She walks to the living room and plops down on the sofa. "I am totes exhausted." she says as she kicks off her shoes.

Alicia sprawls in an arm chair across from her friend, "You and me both, kiddo." she says with an exhausted but satisfied smile. "Thanks for a great time, Leni."

"You're like, thanking me? That's totes weird. I should be thanking you. I had a great time today." Leni says laying her head back.

"Looks like my girls have return from their raid on the mall." Rita says walking into the room. "You're just in time for dinner, Leni."

"Mom, if I eat one more thing, I'll like, burst." Leni says while rubbing her stomach.

"I took her out to dinner afterwards, Rita. I know I should have called and informed you. It's just that we were having such a grand time...I simply forgot. I'm sorry." Alicia says rather sheepishly.

Rita smiles at this grown woman who, at the moment, sounds like one of her daughters. "It's okay, Alicia. I wasn't worried. I knew she was in good hands." It is then Rita notices the plethora of packages around her daughter. "Good gracious, Leni Loud. Did you leave anything in the stores for the other people?" She then turns and looks at the treasure trove around Alicia's feet. "The same goes for you."

The albino shrugs, "What can I say? We were having a good time."

"Well, anyway take your things upstairs, Leni. We don't want to clutter up the living room."

"Okay, mom." Leni says with somewhat tired tone. It is obvious that she is reluctant to move from her spot just yet. However, being the good daughter that she is she complies with her mother's wishes immediately. Once the teenager is out of earshot, Rita turns to Alicia but the albino holds up a hand.

"I know what you're going to say, Rita. She tried to decline the stuff I bought for her. She really, really did. If anything I forced the gifts on her." The woman then clasps her hands in front of her. "Please, let her keep the stuff. It made me so happy to see her happy. I promise that I'll go easier the next time out."

Rita looks at her guest, smiles and shakes her head. "Okay, only if you'll cut back the next time. After all, we don't want to spoil her."

"If I may be so bold. I feel at her age a little spoiling is a good thing. Just a little, that is." Alicia chuckles and Rita does the same. "But in all seriousness, she is a beautiful person and I mean beautiful where it truly counts. You and your husband did a great job with her."

"Thank you, Alicia. Oh, and speaking of good jobs with children. May I congratulate you on the job you've done with Lance. He's having dinner with us as we speak."

"What?"

Rita gets up. "Come see for yourself."

Alicia follows her host into the area where the younger members of the Loud family take their meals. There sitting next to Lucy she finds..."

"Lance."

"Oh, hi mom. I came over earlier to visit with Lucy and the Louds were good enough to invite me to dine with them. I called dad and informed him of the invite. He said that it was all right with him."

"No problem, sweetheart. Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Very much so. Lucy is a wealth of information and the others have been more than kind to me."

Alicia shrugs, "Well, so long as you're enjoying yourself. Carry on, soldier."

"Yes ma'am." Lance replies with a tiny smile.

Rita and Alicia return to the living room where Alicia turns to her host and excitedly takes both her hands. "This is just too amazing!"

"What is?" Rita asks with some confusion showing on her face.

"He came over here alone and of his own free will."

"Yes, kids do stuff like that all the time, Alicia."

"No, not my Lancelot, anyway. He's been painfully shy all his life. But Lucy...this family...they're like some sort of magic elixir for him. Rita...I...I..." The albino suddenly clamps a hand over her mouth and sits down and quietly weeps. Rita kneels down next to her and places an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry for making a scene. It's just...I'm so happy. Thank you, Rita. Thank you, so very much."

"But I didn't do anything."

"Oh, yes you did. You and your husband produced this incredible family and it's helping my boy." Alicia says wiping her tears away. "Who would have believed that help for my boy lay here in Michigan. I'm so glad we came here and found you guys."

"I'm glad you found us, too." She gives her guest and appraising look. "Would you like something to drink?"

Alicia looks up, "You mean, drink...drink?"

"I've got a nice bottle of Merlot just waiting to be opened."

"Rita Loud. You are an angel."


	3. Encounter And Memories

**Meet The Fairmonts**

 **Chapter Three**

 **Encounter & Memories**

9:10pm finds a rather relaxed Rita and Alicia with two empty bottles of Merlot sitting between them. The two mothers have had time to talk and reinforce the friendship they had forged earlier that morning. Looking up at the clock on the living room wall, Alicia realizes just how much time has passed during their talk.

"Oh, my goodness, Rita look at the time. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you so long."

"Nonsense, Lishi, I've totally enjoyed our time together. I don't get the opportunity to talk with another mother at length these days."

"Well, regardless it's time I collected my son and made my way home." The albino stands and stretches.

"Will you look at that. Leni left her shoes down here." Rita says while shaking her head.

"Let me take them up to her. I'd like to say good night before I leave." Alicia says as she bends to pick up the teenager's shoes.

Rita smiles, "Very well, you'll find her in the first room to your right then you should be able to find Lance in the room directly opposite of the stairs."

The albino heads up the stairs, turns to her right and gently knocks on the door. She hears a soft, "Come in," in response. Opening the door she finds Lori sitting on her bed reading a magazine and Leni fast asleep.

"Oh, I brought her shoes and was going to wish her a good night but I see I'm a little late for that."

"Yeah, she literally collapsed after coming upstairs." Lori says while looking lovingly at her younger sister.

"Well, a hectic day and a full belly will do that do you." Alicia smiles as she looks down on her young friend's sleeping form. She then bends and placing teen's shoes on the floor next to the bed. As she straightens she stops and whispers, "Good night, sweetie." and she then places a small kiss on Leni's forehead. She turns to see Lori smiling at her.

"You really care for her, don't you?"

The tall woman continues to look at Leni, "Yes. Yes, I do. She is what my son-in-law, Drake would refer to as a pure soul. He says that her sort is truly rare in this world. She finally turns to Lori. "You have a good night, Lori. Now I'm off to wrangle up my son and leave you pleasant people for the night." She makes her way to the door.

"Door opposite the stairs." Lori calls out after her.

"Got it, thanks." Alicia says.

As she approaches said door she notices a sound. "Thump. Thump. Thump." When she knocks the sound ceases. "Yeah, c'mon in," she hears and does so. There she see Lynn holding a tennis ball.

 _**Guess that explains the thumping I heard.**_ "Evening, Lynn. I've come to collect my boy."

Lynn points to her left. "He's right over there."

Opening the door further, Alicia sees Lance and Lucy sitting on the latter's bed playing with something furry.

"Come on, Lance, it's time for us to go." The small boy hops off of Lucy's bed and rushes to his mother.

"I was just getting to know, Fangs."

"Fangs?" Alicia says with a somewhat confused expression.

"He is Lucy's pet bat. You have to admit that rates pretty high on the cool meter." The boy says with a wide smile.

"Yup, that really rates high, indeed." Alicia replies with a bit of a nervous laugh.

"There's nothing to worry about, Mrs. Fairmont." Lucy says in her monotone voice. "Fangs has had all his shots."

Alicia steps further into the room. "I'm sure that he has. May I see the little guy?"

Lucy holds the tiny bat out so Alicia can get a good look.

"I never thought I'd say this about a bat but...he's an adorable little thing. How did you come by him?"

"He became trapped in our attic and I realized that he seemed awfully young to be on his own. Luckily mom and dad agreed to let me keep him so long as I got him a clean bill of health."

"I told you that Lucy was absolutely the coolest, didn't I mom?" Lance says excitedly.

"That you did, little soldier. But now it's time for you to say goodbye to your hosts." Alicia prompts.

Lance turns to Lynn, "Thank you for having me over, Lynn."

"Hey, no trouble, little man. The pleasure was all mine." the athlete replies with a smile.

"And thank you, Lucy, for having me over and for putting up with all my questions. You have been more than kind." The boy says while nervously playing with the hair that hides his left eye.

Lucy gives him the tiniest of smiles, "It has been my pleasure to discuss the darkness with someone that is willing to listen. Guess we can continue tomorrow?"

The boy turns and looks at his mother with questioning eyes.

"If it's okay with Lucy's parents, it's okay with me."

Lance turns back to Lucy, "Wicked."

Lucy nods, "Wicked, indeed."

A few minutes later finds mother and son making the short walk to their home. Alicia wisely decided to leave her car in front of the Loud's residence due to having had a generous amount of wine earlier. For a short while they walk in silence. However curiosity gets the better the albino and she asks, "You like hanging out at the Loud's, huh?"

"Uh, huh." The six year old replies.

"I guess it doesn't hurt that one Loud in particular is interested in the same thing that you are." Alicia states giving her son a bit of a sidelong glance. In the illumination of the street lights she can see that her son blushes ever so slightly. "Yeah, that doesn't hurt at all."

"Mom?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Can I get a bat?"

 _**Okay, can't say that I didn't see that coming.**_ "I don't really know where to even begin looking for such a pet, sweetie. I mean, Lucy's bat was a rescue and I seriously doubt that the local pet shops have any."

"I see." the youngster says with his shoulders slumping slightly. "Too bad, it would have totally cool to have one for a pet."

As they come up to their front door, Alicia turns to her son with a loving smile. "I'll tell what, let me talk with your father about it and maybe...just maybe he can...procure you a pet bat."

"Oh, thank you, mom! That would be the greatest!"

Unlocking and pushing the door open the albino announces, "We're home!"

"It's about time, too." Her husband says from his seat on the couch. "I was just about to send out the hounds to drag you guys back. And by hounds I mean Rebecca and Drake."

"Hey, we heard that, old man!" Drake's voice can be heard coming up from the basement through the open doorway.

"I'm trying to care less about that annnnd I can't." Alex responds as his son climbs onto his lap.

"Dad could you possibly find me a pet bat?"

"A pet bat? What the hell brought this on?" His father asks with a look of total confusion on his face.

"Lancelot," Alicia says with her hands on her hips. "I told you that _I'd_ speak to your father about it."

The youngster looks his mother in the eye and answers, "Well, since he's right here I figured that I would save you the trouble."

His mother rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "Little Lucy Loud has a pet bat that she rescued from her attic." The woman smiles at the memory of the little chiropteran. "It _is_ the cutest little thing."

Alex looks at his son and sighs, "A bat is a pretty tall order, son. Even if I could locate one you'd have to learn how to care for it."

"No problem there, dad. Lucy could teach me what I need to know."

Alex notices a bit of a twinkle in his son's eye. "You really think a lot of this girl, don't you?"

The boy lowers his head and blushes at his father's question. "W-Well yes...I-I do. She is very informative on topics that I'm interested in."

The big man chuckles, "Okay, Mister Man, I'll send out some feelers and see what's what."

"Thank you, dad." The little boy lays his head against his fathers chest.

"As for now, I want you to get ready for bed. I'm sure you'd like to get an early start on seeing your friend again tomorrow."

The white-haired boy jumps down from his father's lap, "Wicked." he says and hurries off.

"Wicked?" Alex says turning to his wife.

"Oh, it's something that Lucy says when she finds something to her liking."

"Well, I find it, _wicked_ that our boy has finally found someone he can relate to. I really thought that he was going to wind up like Drake. Spending all his time in the basement with his head stuck in a bunch of dusty old tomes."

From the basement, "Again, I can hear you, old man!"

"And again, I'm trying to care less and still can't." The big man looks to his wife with a smile, "So, did you have a good time with your friend today?"

"Yes, I did. However, something happened that almost spoiled it. They made a play for Leni."

Alex's eyes arch in surprise. "They made a play, already?" His wife nods in reply. "This is a lot sooner than I figured they'd attempt a move."

"Well, according to McTaggart..."

"McTaggart?!" Alex interrupts. "I thought that red-headed bitch was dead. I mean, I threw her off of a building myself."

"You've got to remember who and what we're dealing with, my love. They patched you back together and you did far worse than take a tumble off a six story building. Anyway, according to her they're kind of desperate for new blood. It would seem that we're taking a toll on them."

"I take it that she's no longer functioning at this time?"

Alicia gives her husband a sinister looking grin. "Indeed, my dear. I drowned her good for nothing butt in a toilet."

To this Alex lets out a rather raucous laugh. "Quite fitting that you finished off a turd like her in a toilet."

"What's all this about turds and toilets?" Drake asks as he and Rebecca emerge from the basement.

"The Colony made a move on Leni today at the mall." Alicia says with a somewhat worrisome expression.

Rebecca cocks an eyebrow, "They made a move already?"

"My thoughts exactly." Her father says. "We were figuring on at least another week before they'd make their presence known." He steeples his fingers and taps them to his upper lip. "We have to take for granted that they've already cased the Loud residence and they definitely know we're here. We may have to tell the Louds about this situation far sooner than we thought. I was hoping to get to know them a bit better first."

"I don't get it. Why go after Leni?" Rebecca inquires.

"Leverage." Drake answers. "What better way is there to assure an individual's cooperation than to threaten he or she with their family."

"Precisely, Drake, it's the best leverage in the world." Alex rises from his seat, crosses the floor and looks out the front window toward 1216 Franklin Avenue. Rebecca steps up beside him and takes hold of his massive hand. She then looks up at her father, "How do you want to play this big guy?" Without taking his eyes off the Loud residence he answers, "Close to the chest. We proceed according to the original schedule for the time being. The Colony knows that we're here and that might buy us a little time while they regroup." He looks down at his daughter and gives her a crooked smile. "We continue with Operation: Good Neighbor."

11:30 am finds Lance accompanied by Rebecca and Drake making their way to the Loud residence. The young boy walks up ahead of his escort with a rather uncharacteristic spring in his step. Drake nudges his wife to gain her attention.

"Someone is an rather chipper mood this morning."

"I know." Rebecca says with a smile. "You know, I think that lil' bro is crushing on Lucy." She turns to her husband, "Is that normal for a six year old?"

Drake shrugs, "If I've learned anything about your family is that normal isn't in its dictionary. Besides, hasn't your Aunt Victoria always said that Lance has an old soul?"

"On many occasions. Then again, you have to take into consideration that Aunt Vicky isn't really the definition of normalcy."

"Too true, lover. Toooo true." He says as he nuzzles Rebecca's ear which causes her to flinch and move away from him. "Cut it out, Drakie! You know that my ears are particularly ticklish. Her husband gives her a mischievous grin. "I know, that's why I did it."

Meanwhile up ahead of the couple, Lance meets up with Lucy on the porch. They gently caress each other's shoulder in greeting.

"Guess what, my dad is going to see if he can..." (The youngster looks a little unsure of himself.) "...What is that word mom used last night? Oh, yeah! See if he can _procure_ me a pet bat."

Lucy gives her friend a genuine smile. "Wicked." She then turns and leads the boy into the house.

"Looks like the _lovebirds_ have already engaged each other and gone inside." Drake says jokingly.

"Oh, give them a break, crazy boy. It's just a little harmless infatuation." The little blonde says before suddenly coming to a stop and looking to her right.

"What's up, Beckers?" Drake says as he walks back a few steps to see what she's looking at. What he sees is Lincoln around the side of the house with one of his sisters. "Looks like they've got some kind of sparring match going on."

"C'mon, let's go check it out." She moves off toward the side of the house.

"Beckers, need I remind you that we're supposed to be picking up your mother's stuff and her car?" When his wife doesn't respond he simply sighs and trots to catch up with her.

"It's his sister, Lynn. By all accounts the girl is a total sports freak." She watches the match very closely. _**Hmmm, Lincoln's doing fairly well. Good block of her kick. Nice parry of her right hand. Ohh, no! He left his counter out there too long. She's going make him...Ohhhh! Pay for it.**_ Lincoln drops to one knee due to Lynn's blow to his ribs.

"You were doing pretty good there, Link." Rebecca says helping the boy to his feet. "Until you left your right counter hanging out there. I knew she was going to nail you for that mistake.

"You could follow things that closely?" Lynn asks.

"I've learned a couple things sparring with my dad." The blonde says running her hand along the right side of Lincoln's ribs. "You know, Lynn, your brother isn't the biggest guy in the world. You might consider pulling your shots a little more." Lincoln winces as Rebecca's fingers test the point of the blow's impact."

"What are you talking about? I pull my shots plenty. I'm just trying to toughen him up some, is all." Lynn retorts with some irritation creeping into her voice.

"It looked me more like you're trying to tenderized him, like a steak." The blonde says looking back at the athlete with a smirk.

"Wha...You talk like I'm trying to hurt him or something!" Lynn's voice starts to climb in volume.

"I'm just saying that you've got to learn to pull you blows more or you could _accidentally_ hurt him." The older female replies with an exasperated tone.

"Yeah, well, what do you know? You're just a blonde bimbo that likes to dress like a prissy little princess!"

"Lynn! Stop this now and apologize!" Lincoln shouts.

Rebecca's back straightens and she does a slow turn toward the athlete. "Blonde bimbo, eh?"

Drake immediately recognizes the tone in his wife's voice. "Beckers, don't!"

"It looks like my past just won't let me be." Rebecca says as she kicks off her shoes. "You weren't listening the other day, were you." She pulls off her T-shirt revealing the sports bra beneath. "You and I aren't really that much different you know." She pulls the padded gloves off Lincoln's hands and slips them onto her own. "I spent most of my life fighting people who bullied me because of my size. Ninety percent of whom I kicked their asses for them on the first try. And the other ten percent? I kicked their asses on the second try." The little blonde begins to dance around the athlete. She back peddles left then right.

"Rebecca, please! Do not do this!" Drake pleads.

"What's wrong, pale boy? Afraid I'm gonna damage you wife's pretty little face?" Lynn teases.

"Stay out of this, Drakie. It's between me and little miss must be the best. She doesn't even realize that she's only good at beating on her less experienced brother or competing with jerks in a gym. Jerks that probably never had a street fight in their lives. Well, battle princess, it's time someone took you down a peg or three and I'm thinking that I'm just the bitch to do it."

"Big talk from somebody that only seems to know how dance around in a cir..."

Lynn's statement dies in her throat as the little blonde suddenly flashes forward smashing her shoulder into the chestnut haired girl's chest. The impact sends Lynn slamming up against the side of the house. She clears her head just in time to duck a right hand that smashes into the wood cladding of the house. The impact leaving a sizable hole.

Lynn's eyes go wide upon seeing the damage. She's even more amazed that the blonde doesn't even seem to be fazed after hitting the house. _**What the hell is going on here? She had to break every bone in her hand but she's still on the attack.**_ A blow goes whizzing just above Lynn's head and the athlete counters with a blow to the blonde's midsection. Lynn hears a satisfying "humph" escape her opponent's lips and she smiles. _**Gotcha!**_ However, her smile doesn't last very long as Rebecca brings her left elbow smashing into Lynn's face. The force of the blow sends the Loud family's athlete sprawling onto the grass. Rebecca resumes her fighting stance as Lynn shakes her head in an effort to clear it. She sniff and then wipes her nose, looking at the back of her glove she sees that it has come away bloody.

"Hey, no fair! You elbowed me in the face!" Lynn shouts as she gets back to her feet.

"This ain't no gym, ponytail. That elbow is what street fighting is all about. You caught me with a good shot and I countered with what was immediately available." Rebecca responds while once again bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Believe it or not, that was a love tap. So, what do you say jock? You wanna quit now or are you still looking for a shot at the flyweight title?"

"I'm Lynn Loud Jr., you bleached blonde bitch! I don't know the meaning of the word quit!"

"Then maybe it's time that this _bitch_ taught you the meaning of the word. C'mon, bring it you wannabe bad ass."

With a furious scream of anger, Lynn launches herself at her opponent. She lands on her left foot and spins into a roundhouse kick. Her sneaker clad foot crashes into the little blonde's jaw as blood erupts from Rebecca mouth.

"Dang! Lynn got her really good with that one." Lincoln says to Drake.

"Watch." Drake whispers.

Lynn sees the entire thing as if in slow motion. Her foot smashing into her opponent's jaw, the eruption of blood as the soft tissue within Rebecca's mouth is sorely traumatized and the beginnings of a stagger. _**Ha! I have you now miss know-it-all!**_ The athlete moves in for the coup de grace with her right armed cocked back like a gun waiting to be fired. However at the last moment the blonde plants her left foot to stop her stagger. Lynn would later swear that she could actually see Rebecca transferring her weight into her left arm. That she saw a snarl play across the blondes delicate features as her left arm began to move forward. She could see her opponent's hips begin to rotate as she brought the missile of flesh and bone to bear on her.

However, at the last possible moment Rebecca opens her fist and hits Lynn with an open hand to center of her torso. The impact stops the athlete dead in her tracks. Lynn feels the air leave her body in a rush and her vision starts to grey at the edges. Rebecca then spins to deliver a devastating backhand blow."

"REBECCA NO!" Drake shouts.

The blow stops a mere inch from the side of Lynn's head. The athlete looks into her opponent's eyes and sees a twinkle there. The blonde then lowers her fist as the athlete drops to her knees gasping for air.

"Lynn are you all right?" Lincoln says rushing to his sister's side.

"I'm...I'm...I'm." Lynn responds between gasps and then she pukes up her breakfast. "I'm...sick." Another rush of bile fills her mouth and she vomits again. However, after a minute or so the waves of nausea finally subside and the athlete can really catch her breath. She looks over at Rebecca who is being chewed out by her husband. _**What the hell is she made of?**_

"Becky that was dumb." Drake says pacing back and forth in front of his wife. "Dumb and Dangerous. It was Dumbgerous!"

"Oh, you're going to lecture me and use a word like dumbgerous?"

"Words are my primary weapons." Drake says with a shrug. "But seriously what if you had injured that poor girl?"

"Oh, c'mon, Drakie." The young woman says rolling her eyes and folding her arms over her chest.

"Don't _Drakie_ me. You let your temper get the better of you...again."

Rebecca gives her husband an incredulous look. "I...did...not! I was in control the whole time. I would think that would have been obvious to you. All she has is a bloody nose and some temporary nausea. I'm the one with the friggin' damage. I think that...brat actually loosened three of my teeth with that kick of hers." The young woman holds up her left hand as her tongue moves around inside her mouth. She then spits out a fragment of a tooth into the palm of her hand. "She broke one of my molars."

"What about the hole in the side of the house, huh?"

The blonde rolls her eyes again, "I missed on purpose, you doofus! The same goes for the blow that sailed over her head. I wanted to see what she had to offer. I didn't want to break her spirit, Drake. I just wanted her to treat her brother a little better, is all."

Lynn having heard the rather loud and animated conversation turns to her brother. "Linky, I'm sorry."

The boy looks at her with confusion etched across his face. "Sorry, about what?"

"For using you for a punching bag. The princess over there is right. I should go a little easier on you. After all, I'd never forgive myself if I really hurt you. I guess the princess really did teach me a lesson. She just used a method that I would easily understand."

"Well, she did say that the two of you weren't all that different." He says while helping his sister to her feet. "After what she said about her childhood I would think that she's driven to prove herself just like you are."

Lynn sighs, "I guess should've listened to what she was saying but you know me. You have to prove things to me physically."

"Where the hell is my other shoe?" Rebecca shouts while looking around.

Lynn looks around and spots it only a couple feet away. She picks it up and exams it. _**Looks like something that Leni would wear. How can she be so girly but so tough at the same time?**_ "Over here, princess!"

Rebecca turns and looks at Lynn. For a long moment she just stares but a smile breaks across her face and then she shakes her head. "Okay...jock, you've earned the right to call me that." Stepping up to Lynn the blonde takes the offered footwear. She then places a hand on Lynn's shoulder and uses the athlete to steady herself as she puts her shoe on. However, she doesn't remove her hand when she straightens up and looks the chestnut haired girl in the eye and smiles. "Get it now, Lynn?"

Lynn simply nods and returns the blonde's smile.

"Then it was worth a broken tooth." Rebecca pats Lynn's shoulder and gently turns her towards the street. She walks with her arm around the younger female's shoulder. She nonchalantly slings her top over her left shoulder. "I originally came here to drop off my brother and pick up my mom's car and things she left here last night. Now I guess I have apologize for putting a hole in the side of your house."

Behind the two young women, Lincoln and Drake walk together. Lincoln, totally flustered, turns to Drake with questioning eyes. "What's with them? A few minutes ago it was like they were trying to kill each other and now they're walking together like they've been friends for years. I don't get it."

"It's a warrior thing, Lincoln. They've tested each others mettle and now respect each other as equals. I know it's weird but it's a kinda code. It's something that Beckers gets it from her father."

The quartet step up onto the porch and are immediately set upon by the other Loud sisters with the exception of Lucy. Unbeknownst to the recent combatants their match was observed from the dining room window.

"Wow, that was some sparring match you two." Lana shouts.

"When you hit the side of the house I literally thought that the wall was going to cave in." Lori says.

"Those were some sweet moves dudettes." Luna chimes in while clapping a hand on Lynn's shoulder. "Looks to me that you've met your match, little sis."

"Yeah," Lynn says somewhat sheepishly, "I have to admit that the princess here is pretty darn good."

Rebecca gives the Loud athlete a one armed hug and smiles, "Thanks and you're not bad yourself...jock."

Leni clasps her hands cheerfully in front of her, "Yayyy! Everybody is still friends. This calls for like, a celebration!"

Rebecca looks at the others a little perplexed. "I'm not getting this. I mean, you guys aren't upset about me and Lynn's throw down?"

"Oh, heck no." Lola says with a dismissive wave of her hand. "It all falls under Sister Fight Protocol."

Drake leans in closer to Lincoln and whispers, "Sister Fight Protocol?"

"It's kinda crazy." Lincoln shrugs. "I'll explain it to you later."

"That's nice except for one little thing." Rebecca says holding up her hand. "I'm not your sister."

"Hmmm." Luan says giving the little blonde and appraising look. "Let's see. Blonde and kinda short tempered." Looks at Lori who rolls her eyes. "Not to mention quite athletic." Looks at Lynn who simply smiles. "Are you kidding? You're like two sister rolled into one. Maybe we should call you Lorynn. Ha! Ha! Ha! Get it?"

Rebecca looks at the comedian with a dead pan expression. "Yeah, I got it. Though I'm not sure I want it."

Luan's mouth drops open in a display of mock shock. "Wow, you're harshing my mellow over here."

Rebecca chuckles, "Let me make it up to you. Pizza for everyone...on me." She takes t-shirt and waves it in the air as everyone cheers. As the group files into the house Rebecca turns to Drake, "Do me a favor, honey and get in touch with mom and let her know that we'll be staying a while."

"Not a problem, Beckers." Drake responds holding up his cellphone. "I just finished texting her." His phone gives off a couple of beeps, he looks down and reads his mother-in-law's response. "Not a problem, sweetie. Just don't forget to bring my bags home as well. Ohh, I love it when she calls me 'sweetie'."

"I do believe that 'sweetie' was meant for me." Rebecca says as she pulls her shirt back on and fusses with her unruly, spiky hairstyle.

"I beg to differ, dearest. After all, I did send the text from my phone. You know that I'm your mother's sweetie."

"Well, we'll just discuss this with the old bear." Rebecca counters with a smirk.

The young man cocks and eyebrow, "Now I see no reason to get your father involved in my affair with your mother."

To this Rebecca bursts out laughing. "You? An affair...with my mom? Now that's the best joke I've heard all week. You run and hide whenever she even slightly teases you."

Lori smiles, "Have to take Rebecca's side in this, Drake. "I mean, I literally witnessed how flustered you got when she teased you the first day we met."

"Okay, you've got me there." The young man rubs the back of his neck. "It's just that..."

Drake's statement is interrupted by the sound of doorbell. Upon opening it they find...

"Nightfall?" Rebecca says with surprise showing in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

"You're kidding, right?" The second youngest Fairmont says as she steps over the threshold. "Mom mentioned that you were throwing a pizza party over here. There's no way I'm going to miss..."

The little girl stops dead with her mouth hanging open when her eyes fall on Luna. Well, more specifically on what is in Luna's arms. Slowly a wide grin takes over her features and she starts hopping from one foot to the other.

"Baby! Baby! Baby!" The six year old shouts as she rushes toward the third eldest Loud sibling. "She's so cuuute! What's her name? Can I hold her?" She squeals practically bouncing in front of Luna.

"Easy little dudette." Luna answers with a smile. "Her name is Lily and yes, you can hold her. But first I have to change her."

"Oh, no problem there. I can handle that easy peasy."

The rocker looks to the little girl's older sister and cocks her eyebrow.

"Not a problem, Lune. She's actually quite good with the little ankle biters. My Aunt Vicky and Uncle Dale haven't long had a baby boy and Nightie takes over his care whenever they visit."

The Loud children look on as the little six year old deftly places a blanket on the couch cushion and lays the one year old gently down on it. "Did somebody go poopie in her diaper?" The infant coos and giggles in response. "Not to worry, Auntie Nightfall will clean you right up." When the youngster removes the soiled diaper her nose crinkles but she still manages to smile. "Phew! Stinkeroo! How can something so little make such a big stink?" Lily giggles and blows a raspberry at Nightfall which causes the raven haired girl to laugh. With practiced expertise the youngster's hands move without wasting a single motion. She holds out the soiled without taking her eyes off the task at hand. "Outgoing!" Lincoln takes the item from her and she resumes her work. Plucking a moistened wipe from its container she thoroughly cleans the infant all the while quietly humming to herself. Finally she gently takes hold of both the baby's ankles and lifts her little bottom off the the blanket. "Incoming!" says as she slides a fresh diaper into place and fastens it. "There, all clean little one."

"Amazing." Lori say in a hushed tone as Nightfall lifts the baby and holds her to her all the while humming.

Drake smiles at the scene and quietly whispers, "Alicia says that she's going to be a wonderful mother one day."

Lily yawns and lays her head against Nightfall's chest. "Aww, somebody's sleepy. Where's her crib?"

"Come, follow me." Lisa says as she turns and leads her guest upstairs.

"Wow," Luan says as they watch the trio of girls head upstairs, "I've never seen Lily take to someone so quickly before."

Luna smiles and says, "It would seem that the Fairmonts and the Louds are meshing rather well." She casts an eye at Lynn and Rebecca standing together and takes note of the bruises and scrapes on both of them.

She chuckles before adding, "Though it's evident that some of us mesh a bit more roughly than others."

"Amen to that, my sister." Rebecca says while clapping her hand onto Lynn's shoulder. The athlete turns and extends her hand which the little blonde shakes heartily. It is then that they hear it. The entire group goes quiet as a small voice can be heard drifting down from the second floor.

 _Sleep little baby. Sleep without fear._

 _You can do so because your big sister is here._

 _She will watch over you through the night._

 _She will watch over you till the burning of the new morning's light._

 _I will be here when you wake to see your blue eyes shining bright._

 _So sleep little baby. Sleep through the night._

Luna wipes a tear from her eye and sniffs, "Dude, she has a beautiful little voice."

"And what a beautiful lullaby." says Leni. "Did you like, sing it to her when she was a baby?"

Drake pipes up, "Ohh, no. Becky's singing would give children nightmares."

"Harsh but true." The princess says with a shrug. "That little ditty was sung to her by my sister, Ellen."

"Ellen?" Lori asks with a puzzled look. "We thought that..."

"That's right, Ellen was running an errand for mom first day you guys came over. You all never met the second of the Fairmont kids."

"Oh, we've got to meet her." Lola cries.

"You've got that right." Lana says.

"I also concur." says Lisa descending the stairs. "I would certainly like to meet the author of such a soothing piece."

Rebecca nods, "Very well. Let's see if we can get her to come over here." Turns to her husband. "Drakie, phone, if you please." The young man slaps his phone into her hand. "Thank you, my dear." She dials, holds the phone to her ear and waits. "Hello, Ellen, it's me, your loving sister...Whaddaya mean, 'Midnight your voice has gotten deeper?'...Ha. Ha. Very funny sis. Listen we're going to have a pizza party at the Loud's. I was wondering if you'd like to join us?...Ohh, c'mon, Ellie. Pleeeasse. They all really want to meet you...You will? Thanks sis. See you in a few minutes. Love ya." Hands the phone back to Drake.

"Oh, goody she's coming." Leni says clapping her hands happily.

"Now, I warn you that she's shy and quiet so don't push her too hard. Give her a little time to get comfortable with you all and she'll open right up."

"Gotcha." Lori says, "Now you heard her. Everyone on your best behavior. That means no pranks, Luan."

Luan's face falls, "Dang it. I was going to use the old joy buzzer to break the ice."

Rebecca snaps her fingers, "Oh, there's something else I need to tell you..."

The ringing of the doorbell interrupts her and she watches as Lana leaps up to answer it. "It's the pizza guy and...some lady."

"Some lady?" says Lori as she gets up to investigate. The pizza delivery man and Lana pass by her on their way to the kitchen where they meet up with Rebecca who pays for the delivery. Lori looks at the young woman in the doorway as she approaches taking stock of her. She stands at least as tall as Luna and her long black hair is done up in a very long braid that hangs to one side falling to her waist in front of her. She wears a light blue nearly ankle length dress with a high bodice and long flowing white sleeves. She stands with her hands loosely clasped in front of her and on her right hand Lori notices two rings. On the middle finger is a square cut emerald and on the ring finger is a large opal. Once in front of her the blonde takes note of the woman's nearly flawless, dusky skinned beauty.

"Can I help you?" Lori queries.

With a slight bow of her head the woman responds in a small, eloquent voice laced with an undoubtedly East Indian accent. "I am Ellen Fairmont. I'm here on an invitation issued by my older sister on behalf of the Loud family."

Lori is slow to respond due to the fact that she's noticed the woman's most striking feature. She has large, expressive eyes that are the shade of rich, hand-rubbed mahogany. However the sclera of her left eye is absolutely black. The tall blonde is brought back by the sound of her guest clearing her throat.

"Oh my, you were staring at my eye, weren't you?" The young woman asks with a smile.

Lori smiles nervously, "I-I...I'm so embarrassed. I'm sorry."

Again, Ellen gives a slight bow of her head, "That is quite alright...Lori, right?"

"Yes, how'd you guess?" Lori says while beckoning Ellen to come in.

"Oh, my sisters and brother described you all to me quite well." She says following Lori toward the living room. "They are quite taken with your family."

"Well, we're pretty taken with..." Lori stops dead in her tracks at the sight of an completely empty living room. "Where the heck...Oh. Right. They're probably all in the kitchen divvying up the pizza. Please, come with me, Ellen."

Lori and Ellen make their way to the kitchen where, indeed they find the others. As a group they had already each grabbed a preferred slice of pizza. As Lori enters the kitchen with their guest everyone turns towards them and immediately freezes in mid motion.

Ellen rolls her eyes and looks at her older sibling while folding her arms in front of her. "Rebecca, I can take it for granted that you neglected to tell them about my eye."

"Sorry, Ellie, my bad." Rebecca says around a mouthful of sausage and cheese pizza. She looks at the faces around the room. Drake then nudges her from behind to spur her into action. She steps over to and stands next to Ellen facing the others. "What's wrong? You guys don't think that we look like sisters?" She questions while putting an arm around her sister's waist.

"It is quite obvious that she is your adopted sibling." Lisa says adjusting her glasses on her nose.

Ellen nods with a smile, "That is correct. However..."

"She's not the only adopted daughter." Rebecca interrupts.

"Rebecca was the first one that mother and father adopted." Ellen says putting an arm around her sister's shoulder and pulling her to her in a one armed hug.

"A story I just might get around to telling you guys one day." Rebecca says taking another bit of pizza.

"And the twins?" Lola asks.

Ellen's face seems to light up at the very mention of her two younger siblings. "Oh, Lance and Nightfall are mother and father's only naturally born children. The strange thing is that it's a miracle they are here at all. Mother wasn't supposed to be able to bare children. But a year after I was adopted, Lance and Nightfall were born."

Rebecca nods her head, "Yeah, so mom defied the odds twice over by having twins."

It is then that a small voice can be heard from the head of the stairs. "Is that Ellie, I hear?"

"I don't know. I guess it could be." Ellen answers with a wide smile.

With a squeal of pure delight, Midnight runs down the stairs and launches herself at her older sister who easily catches her in mid flight. "I'm so glad that you came over, sis. Guess what, they have a one year old here and I sang your lullaby to her and she went right to sleep."

"Very good, little one." Ellen says as she hugs the six year closer to her. "I am so very proud of you." She then looks at the group in front of her as if searching it. "Midnight, where is your brother?"

As if on cue there is a thump behind Ellen, Rebecca & Midnight. "I'm right here, Ellen." says Lance jumping down from a vent high in the hallway wall followed immediately by Lucy.

"And whatever were you two doing in there?" Ellen asks a her brother hugs her around her legs.

"Oh, nothing much. Just communing with Lucy's great grandma Harriet."

"Really now." The second eldest Fairmont says looking to the eight year old Loud.

"Indeed," Lucy responds in her monotone voice, "she stated that she was happy that I had a new friend and that there was more to him than meets the eye."

"Did she now?" Rebecca says as the three sisters share a look.

"Well, what say we move this party into the living room?" Lori pipes up filling the awkward silence that had suddenly developed.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Rebecca agrees while casting a passing glance at the little goth girl.

A few minutes later with the pizzas sitting on the coffee table and the group spread about the sizable Loud living room the talk eventually focuses on Ellen.

"Those are two very beautiful rings you're wearing." Lola states.

"Why thank you. It is nice of you to say so." She fingers the emerald. "This one was given to me by father before I came to this country. He told me that it went well with my complexion."

"Why don't you tell them about how you met dad, Ellie." Rebecca says with an impish grin.

"Oh, I'm sure they don't want to hear about that."

"Oh, yes we do!" says Lana as she moves a little closer to the young woman. "C'mon...give."

"Very well." Ellen responds with a slight roll of her eyes. "It was about seven years ago in India that we met. Father was in New Delhi on business when he...'cough'...caught me with my hand in his back pocket trying to take his wallet."

Lana's eyes light up as she places both her hands on Ellen's leg. "You were trying to lift the big guy's wallet? What did he do?"

 _Flashback seven to a shop in New Delhi, India._

 _The big man claps his hand down on the youngster's arm and lifts her off her feet. "Who the hell does this belong to?" He asks in a great, booming voice._

 _The shopkeeper angrily flashes forward toward the child. "How dare you, you filthy little beggar! You insult me by trying to steal from my customer in my shop!" He then seemingly goes to strike her._

" _Hey! Dude!" Alex says protectively transferring the girl into the crook of his left arm as if she were no more than an infant and holding his right hand out toward the approaching shop owner. "She tried to pinch my wallet. So, I hardly see how that's an insult to you. What's more, you are not going to strike a child. Not in front of me, unless you want some of the same?" The irate man shrinks away from them. "What's your name kid?" The youngster answers in her native dialect. Alex turns to the shopkeeper with a questioning expression._

" _It roughly translates to 'she of the cursed gaze'." The shop owner says as he returns his place behind the counter._

" _'She of the cursed gaze'? That's a helluva thing to call a kid." He gently holds her face between his thumb and index finger and gently turns her head so he can look more closely at her left eye. "Hmmm, most likely nothing more than a slight genetic defect." He continues to look into her eyes. "Hell, I think she has beautiful eyes."_

Flash forward to 1216 Franklin Avenue, Michigan, USA

Ellen chuckles, "It was a that moment that my stomach decided to let its presence and condition be known. I mean, it growled like and angry dog. Father simply smiled and took me to an outdoor restaurant where we sat and ate together. It was during that time that I noticed a gentleness in his eyes. A gentleness that I felt compelled to trust. He said that he had to call me something so, he decided on Ellen. He said that it was the name of his first wife and that she had been loving and gentle soul."

"Oh, that is literally the sweetest thing I ever heard." Lori says while wiping away an errant tear.

"After my belly was full he took me back to his hotel. To say the least the hotel manager didn't like the idea of a dirty little street urchin coming into his establishment. However, father can be very convincing when he wants to be. He told the manager to just charge him double and that there would a fat tip in it for him at the end of his stay."

Luan chuckles, "Money talks and BS walks."

"That is very true, my friend. Even in India." Ellen says with a bit of a chuckle. "Anyway, father was there for two weeks and for that time I stayed with him and got to know him fairly well. I know that when one first meets him, one is immediately intimidated by his size and his somewhat...gruff manner. However, once you get beyond that you discover that he's a...a...Darn! What is the term I'm looking for Rebecca?"

Her sister, who is sitting on the floor leaning up against her husband, looks over at her. "I think the term you're looking for is...teddy bear."

"Yes. Yes, that is it. Teddy bear. After the first week, I told him how I was driven from my village after the death of my parents in a flood."

"Wow, that was way harsh dude." Luna says with probably more force than she meant to use.

"Luna, you have to understand that I was born in a village not a small town like here. My idea of running water was the little stream that ran out back of our dwelling. What you think of as a superstition was pretty much like a religion. For them my eye was proof that I had been touched by evil. I even began to think that my father believed that. He became more and more distant towards me as time went on." The young woman pauses and her expression seems like her thoughts have drifted back to those times.

It is Lola that breaks the brief silence when she reaches out and lays her hand on Ellen's and asks, "Ellen, what _is_ your given name?"

"My mother named me, Satya which in Sanskrit means truth or truthfulness. I use the name Ellen to honor the father who adopted me and brought me into a new a world. Satya is now my middle name which I keep to honor the mother who bore me."

Ellen feels strong yet gentle arms slip around her shoulders from behind. "That's like, so beautiful, Ellen." Leni says as she places her cheek to Ellen's and hugs her.

The dusky skinned woman reaches up with both hands grips Leni's forearm. "Thank you," she says, "mother was right when she said that you were a loving person."

From her vantage point across the room, Rebecca notices, to her relief, just how relaxed her sibling has become and she smiles. _**This is very good. She is opening up to them a lot quicker than she did with me six years ago.**_ She watches as Lucy points to the opal ring which rides on her sibling's right ring finger and asks her about it. _**Uh oh,**_ she thinks, _**Here comes the acid test.**_

"Oh," Ellen says with an almost shocked expression. An expression that Lori immediately notices. "You don't have tells us," she says, "I mean, if it upsets you."

"No, it is alright." She touches the emerald. "This represents my coming to this country and the start of my new life. This," she touches the opal, "This represents my...my first and so far only love." She brings the ring to her lips and gently kisses it. "His name was Richard Haas. However, due to a head full of brick red hair his nickname was Brick. He's the young man who had his hand broken by Rebecca." She looks across the room at her sister who just shrugs and says, "Like I said, I don't like being pawed."

Ellen laughs, "Well, luckily for me by time I came into the picture, Brick and Rebecca had become fast friends. So much so that Brick took it upon himself to look out for me. He reminded me of father in the sense that he was also large but very gentle. He really helped me acclimate to life here in America. Well, one thing led to another and friendship blossomed into love. I remember how nervous he was when he met father the night of our first date." She giggles at the memory. "It wasn't like he'd never met him. They had met several times before. I suppose that he was so nervous because it was officially a date."

"That's it exactly." Rebecca pipes up. "I remember that night. Poor guy was sweating bullets. Dad did all he could to assure Brick that he was totally cool with him taking Ellen out but it just didn't seem to register."

The two siblings exchange a smile as Ellen continues her tale. "We were dating for about six months when, for my seventeenth birthday, he presented me with this beautiful opal ring. He said that it belonged to his grandmother and he wanted me to have it. Of course I told him that I could not accept such a beautiful family heirloom. Well, he finally convinced me that he'd discussed with his mother and that she had agreed with him gifting me the ring. Both families agreed that we were good for one another. I helped him with his studies and he helped me navigate my new life here."

Again, Ellen falls silent. However, this time a pained expression crosses her dusky features and tears begin to form in her eyes. Both sets of twins take notice move in closer to comfort her.

"It only a week after that, I lost him." She picks up a napkin from atop one of the pizza boxes and dabs the tears from her eyes. "He'd beaten off three hooligans defending me. Unfortunately one had stabbed him in the back. Brick died there in the street...in my arms. I tried returning the ring after the funeral but Mrs. Haas wouldn't have it. She said that her Richard had chosen well and that he had told her that he knew that I was...the one."

Lori gasps, "You mean...?"

Ellen gives the blonde a sad smile as she nods, "He was going to ask for my hand when we were old enough. So, I always think of this ring as my engagement ring."

"It was like you were the princess and he was your knight." Lola says with a sniffle as she snuggles closer beside Ellen and wraps her arms around her waist.

Rebecca looks as a crooked smile breaks across her features. _**The little ones always gravitate to her.**_

Ellen smiles and wraps an arm around the little girl's shoulder. "That is a good way to look at it, little one. He was indeed my knight." She then breaks into a bright smile. "But enough with sadness. Let us celebrate the melding of two families in friendship." She raises her soda can, "To friendship!"

The others follow suit raises their drinks, "To friendship!"

Rebecca get up and steps over to Lynn, "To friendship, jock."

Lynn smiles, "To friendship, princess."

Lance turns to Lucy, "To friendship, Lucy Loud."

The little goth gives him a tiny smile, "To friendship, Lancelot Fairmont."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Boy this chapter went on longer than I thought it ever would. But it was like it was writing itself and I just couldn't figure where to break it off. So I just decided to go with the flow. I would like to take time to thank my good buddy Seth for his help and for giving me the whole 'dumbgerous' bit. It's great to have someone you can bounce things off of when you're writing.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Meet The Fairmonts**

 **Chapter Four**

 **New Addition And Visitors**

It has been nearly a month since the Fairmonts moved in just down the street from the Louds and in that time the two families have become fast friends. It is as if both residents have been declared community property by the children of both families. There were times when all the Fairmont siblings were crashing with the Louds and other times it was the reverse.

It is early on a Saturday morning that finds the head of the Fairmont clan making his way groggily towards the kitchen for his morning pick me up. As he crosses to the coffee maker he turns to his left and looks into the living room. What he sees there startles him at first.

 _**What the actual f...?**_ his mind screams as his eyes scan the room. Here and there across the expansive space are several sleeping bags and air mattresses. To him is seems as if an invading army has bivouacked in his home. He then shakes his head as if to clear his sleep addled mind.

 _**That's right, the Loud kids.**_ he thinks with a smile as he pours himself a big mug of jolt juice.

Rebecca had asked him and his wife if it would be alright for them to have a sleepover. The two of them had joyfully agreed to their grown daughter's request. After all, they had more than enough room. He had initially thought that the house was way too much for his family. However, Alicia argued that they could use the extra space for entertaining guests and putting up friends and family that inevitably would visit from time to time. He was happy that he had decided to go along with his wife. He smiles to himself, _**Like I ever really had any say in the matter.**_ He thinks as he takes a sip from his mug. _**She's the boss and she knows it.**_ He chuckles to himself.

"You're chuckling to yourself this early in the morning." A voice says softly from behind him. "This has the makings of a momentous day, indeed."

Turning the big man sees his wife and a somewhat goofy smile plays across his scarred features. He is still amazed how even after several years of marriage the sight of her can make him feel like a high school kid again. He reaches into the cupboard and removes a mug with the name 'Lishi' emblazoned upon it. It was a gift from Leni to his wife and the thing is there's another one just like it in the cupboard at the Loud residence. He pours a healthy portion into said mug.

"You know I like it, right?" he wife says wrapping her arms around him from behind.

"Why, of course I do. Light and sweet, just like your lovely self." the big man replies.

Handing his wife her mug of coffee they turn and look out over the collection of sleeping youngsters. Alicia watches her husband as a broad smile finds its way to his face. She learns her head against his shoulder and practically purrs.

"Look at you. A house full of kids and you're grinning from ear to ear. The big, tough, Alexander Fairmont has a soft spot for kids." She takes a sip of her coffee and sighs. "I only wish I could have given you more."

"Lishi," he says while still looking into the living room. "We have two beautiful adopted daughters and you gave me the twins. In doing that you defied great odds. Hell, we have five children when you throw our son-in-law into the mix. I'm a happy man and what I see right now makes me even more so. I mean, look at them all broken off in their little groups. It would seem Rebecca and Ellen were holding court with all the older Loud girls. Nightfall together with Lana and Lola. She's taken on the role of mediator between them. Which she can do because she is like both of them. She's a princess and a tomboy rolled into one." His eyes continue to scan the room and his smile broadens as he points to a corner of the room. "And there are our two dark-lings."

Alicia cannot help but smile, "I'm so glad that Lance found someone that shares his interests. Rita's told me that she is glad that Lucy has done the same. She says that Lucy almost seems...happier since meeting up with our boy."

"Well, like they say, there's someone out there for everybody." Alex says and takes another slug from his mug. "Hey, hold up a minute. I don't see either Lincoln or Drake."

Alicia gives a little giggle, "Not to worry, my dear. I found them passed out in the playroom. I figure that they were playing video games well into the night. You know, those two have hit it off pretty well. It's like each is the brother the other never had."

"It's nothing short of a miracle in Drake's case. I didn't think that anyone other than Rebecca could get his head out of those damn books of his."

"You know, I think it's great that Rebecca, though she's nearly twenty two, still has the heart of a teenager. Otherwise we'd miss opportunities like this."

"Well, I know this much. We'd best start getting breakfast ready for this multitude." Alex says after which he downs the remainder of his coffee. "From what I've learned kids are almost constantly hungry."

Finishing her coffee, Alicia looks at the living room and then back at her husband. "Should I get them up?"

"No need, we'll let their noses wake them up. I remember when I was a kid there was nothing better on a Saturday morning than to wake up to the smell of my mom cooking breakfast."

With that said, the couple bends to the task at hand. Dozens of eggs and pounds of bacon and sausage are cooked up on their large six burner stove. The smell of the food wafts over the sleeping youngsters and as Alex predicted one by one they began to stir.

Rebecca is the first to rise and stretch. From her position on the couch she can see her parents as they busied themselves with preparing breakfast. She softly pads over to the kitchen and leans on the counter with a pleased smile on her face.

"Well, will you just look at the two of you. You really look like a couple of domestics."

"Good morning, sweetheart. Did you all have a good time last night?" Alicia asks as she hands her daughter a mug of coffee.

Taking the offered beverage the young woman smiles. "Boy, did we ever. We talked about darn near everything going on in our lives." She looks back over her shoulder at her still slumbering sister. "You should have seen Ellen. I've never seen her so open before. I'm beginning to think that the Louds are really good for us. I mean, look at Lincoln and Drake. Those two disappeared around ten or so and we didn't see them for the rest of the night."

"Not to worry, Beckers. Your mother found them conked out in the play room." Alex says as he turns and places a few more rashes of bacon onto the already piled high platter.

"Ahh, yes, video games." Rebecca says after taking a sip of coffee. "I'm really glad that Drakie has found something else to occupy his time. Lori told me that Lincoln really looks forward to the little trips that he and Drake make together. She said it's like..."

"Each is the brother that other never had."

Rebecca turns in surprise to see the eldest Loud sibling approaching from the living room. "Oh, morning boss lady."

"Morning, Scrappy." Lori replies with a smile. "Good morning, Lishi...Mr. Fairmont."

"Good morning, sweetie." Alicia replies as she shovels scrambled eggs onto a platter. "Sleep well?"

"Oh, very much so, thanks."

Alex looks at the young woman with a rather serious expression. "I've got a bone to pick with you young lady."

"Uh, what might that be?" asks Lori with her eyes darting back and forth.

"This Mr. Fairmont business has got to stop, Ms. Loud. I mean, Mr. Fairmont is my father, Galahad and he lives in Texas. You can call me, Alexander or Alex. Just don't call me, Al. I'm not really a fan of that one."

"Ohhhhkay, Alex it is then." Lori says as she mentally breathes a sigh of relief.

"Good." The big man says as he turns back to the stove and places several pieces of bacon into the frying pan.

With a yawn and a stretch, Drake walks into the kitchen. "Good morning ladies." He says with a smile. He then looks at Alex and frowns. "Morning, old man."

"How old are you, Drake?" Alex asks turning to face the younger man.

"I'm twenty four. You know that or has your memory bummed out on you?"

"Well, I am _old_ as you constantly like to point out. But I've got a question for you, young blood."

"And what might that be?"

"Would you like to live to see twenty five?" The big man smiles a smile that somehow manages to be more chilling than any scowl Lori has ever seen.

"You know you wuv me, dad." Drake answers with a bright smile. "Now, may I please have some coffee?"

Alex reaches into the cupboard, pulls out a black mug, fills it with the brew from a second coffee maker and hands it over. "Here you go sport. Black, hot and strong enough to float an iron wedge. Oh, and for the record...Beckers wuvs you. Lishi...wuvs you. Ellen...wuvs you. The twins just freakin' adore you. Me? Well, I simply tolerate you for their sake."

Lori nudges Rebecca and whispers, "I don't get it. They act like they can't stand each other."

"And that's just it." Rebecca says, "They _act_ like they can't stand each other. When the truth of the matter is that they've got a real bro-mance going on. Drakie is like dad's eldest son and each would storm the gates of hell for the other."

"Ohhhh, I get it." Lori says with a smile.

"Like a cup of coffee, Lori?" Alicia asks.

"Yes, thank you." Lori replies while looking at Drake.

"What," Drake asks while lowering his coffee mug from his lips. "Have I got something on my face?"

"Yeah, an ugly nose." Alex says while putting his frying pan into the sink.

Drake shoots his father-in-law a glare. "I wouldn't talk about faces if I were you, big guy."

Lori chuckles at their banter, "Nothing, I'm just trying to get used to your yellow eyes. I mean, it hasn't been that long since I first saw you without your shades on. This family really has it going on when it comes to odd eye color."

Hearing a stirring from behind her, Rebecca turns to see both Leni and Ellen rising and stretching together. "Good morning, ladies." she says.

"Good morning, Rebecca." Ellen says.

"Like, good morning, Scrappy." says Leni after a particularly long yawn.

A puzzled looks moves across Drake's face. "What's with this Scrappy business?"

"Oh, we were discussing the match Rebecca and Lynn had and how it takes someone pretty scrappy to hold their own against Lynn." Lori says as she hides a smile behind her coffee mug. A smile brought on by the disapproving expression on Alex's face.

"You're both a couple of damn wildcats. Rebecca you wound up damaging the Loud's residence and Lynn damaged your dental work. Dental work that I must say I have a lot of money invested in. Luckily the cost of the repair work in both cases pretty much balanced out." He then turns to Lori. "And don't think I didn't see that little smile of yours, young lady. I'm just lucky that your father is an understanding man." The big big man rolls his eyes and chuckles, "Then again, with ten daughters, how could he _not_ be understanding?"

Alicia steps over to the group having put her frying pan in the sink to soak. "Well, that's that, breakfast is ready and it looks like the rest of horde is starting to stir. You were right about their noses getting them up."

In twos and threes the youngsters awaken to the smell of a delicious breakfast awaiting them. In their little secluded corner of the vast living room, Lucy and Lance stir, sit up in their sleeping bags and face one another. Each gives the other a tiny smile and a light caress on the shoulder.

"Did you sleep well?" Lance asks with slight blush.

"Very well, thank you." Lucy answers with an equally slight blush.

The pale boy stands and offers his hand to his guest, who takes it. He gives a tug to help her to her feet but he pulls just a tad too much and Lucy falls into him. Lance steadies himself and stops her tumble, however they find themselves in a clumsy embrace which they quickly break. Each stands with their hands behind their backs. Lance's one visible eye darts back and forth in its socket. Though he cannot see Lucy's eyes due to her black bangs, he figures that her eyes are doing the same thing and due to both their pale complexions their blushing cheeks are on full display. Each turns an eye towards the kitchen area and there they see that the eldest sister of each family has witnessed the incident. They both say, "Sigh", as they see that their siblings have big grins on their faces.

Lucy notices that her friend is now looking down at the floor between them with slumped shoulders. The little goth reaches out and places a couple of fingers beneath the boy's chin and gently lifts his head. She looks into his exposed eye and smiles. Without saying a word she reassures her friend that everything is fine and that he shouldn't fret. He returns her warm smile and they both make their way toward the kitchen under the misty-eyed gaze of their eldest siblings.

Meanwhile a small figure stirs on an air mattress and sits up. Nightfall Fairmont greets the new day with a wide smile plastered on her face. She looks to her left and then to her right at the two Loud twins, Lola and Lana. She grips each by the shoulder and gives them a vigorous shaking.

"Wake up sleepyheads, there's grub to be had!" she shouts.

Lola rolls over and groans, "Arggghh! How can anyone be so cheerful first thing in the morning?"

"It's easy when you happen to be Lance's twin sister."

Lola gives her a totally confused look. "Please, Nightfall don't make me think. It's too early in the morning."

"First, Lola, it's 10 o'clock. Second, I, like yourself, I'm the polar opposite of my twin. Lance is kinda doom and gloom and I'm sunshine and biscuits."

"If you say so," Lola groans.

"I say so, indeed." she says with a bright smile. The six year old then turns her attention to Lola's twin, Lana. She shakes the girl somewhat violently, "C'mon sleepyhead, time to wake up and dig into breakfast."

Lana's eyes snap open and she sits up, "Food?" she says as she grabs her trademark red cap, slaps it on her head and stands up. "C'mon, Lola, time to chow down!"

Again the little pageant queen groans, "The two of them are going to be the death of me."

A few minutes later finds the entire congregation sitting at the Fairmonts' over-sized dining table enjoying a hardy Saturday morning breakfast. Chance has it that Alex finds the Loud family's resident genius sitting at his right. He finds himself smiling as the four year old places her plate upon the table and proceeds to climb into her boosted seat. As she settles into place she looks up at her host with a polite smile.

"Good morning, Mr. Fairmont and how are you this fine morning?"

The big man returns her smile, "I'm doing fair to middling, Lisa. By the way, you may address me by my first name. We don't stand too much on ceremony here."

Lisa adjusts her large glasses on her nose and replies, "I'm delighted to hear so, Alexander. I must admit that I had a rather enjoyable stay, thus far. I'm glad that my siblings talked me into accompanying them on this...what is it called again...oh, yes, sleepover."

"I must say that I was somewhat surprised when you walked in with the others. It was my understanding that you prefer your studies and projects to socializing."

"That is very true, my sizable neighbor, however my siblings informed me that coming to the sleepover would be the neighborly thing to do. So, I tagged along and as previously mentioned had a very good time."

Alex regards the child with his unflinching green-eyed gaze which causes the young scientist to unconsciously look down at her plate. She then clears her throat and looks back at her host. "H-Have I said something to upset you, Alexander?"

"No, you've done no such thing." Alex answers with a bit of a chuckle. "I must apologize. You see, I tend to study people and in doing so I make most of them uncomfortable. Alicia says it's because of the color of my eyes. Nature saw fit to give me these emerald green eyes and they can be as hard looking as said gemstones when I stare. It's just that I find you somewhat fascinating. I mean, you're what, all of four years old?"

Lisa swallows a mouthful of sausage, "That is correct, neighbor."

Alex nods, "Yet you have at least three degrees under your belt that I know of."

"Four." Lisa says after washing down said sausage with some orange juice.

"Four?" Alex questions a little incredulously.

"Four." the diminutive scientist repeats.

The big man gives a rumbling chuckle, "Four it is then. Anyway, such an achievement makes you something of an...oddity. If you don't mind me using that terminology."

"Alexander, I am a woman of science. So how the unwashed masses perceive me is of no concern to me. To me science is a religion. A religion that explains all things."

Alex, his meal now totally forgotten, props his elbow up on the table and rests his head in the open palm of his left hand and again scrutinizes the youngster. "That is one helluva bold statement, little one."

"Oh, now I _have_ said something to upset you." Lisa says somewhat sheepishly.

"Not at all." Alex assures her with a smile. "I can understand someone with your...limited experience making such a statement."

Once again adjusting her over-sized glasses on her face, Lisa gives her host a rather incredulous look as she says, "What has my experience have to do with anything?"

This time instead of a chuckle, Alex actually laughs. The action garners attention from everyone at the table. He quickly regains his composure, smiles and places a hand on the little scientist's shoulder.

"Why it has everything to do with it, little one. You are a bona fide genius, no doubt. However you are still only four years old and therefore only know of this place. I, on the other hand, have been slogging through life a wee bit longer. I've traveled around this grim old world and I've seen things and people that sort of stand outside of the scientific norm."

Lisa cocks her head to one side while looking up into Alex's eyes and in them can find no deception. She reaches up and places her hand on his as it still sits upon her shoulder and says, "As I said before, I am a woman of science. I only believe what I can see and or examine."

"That, Lisa, is a fair enough statement. One that I..." Alex is interrupted by ringing of the front doorbell.

"I've got it!" Rebecca says heading for the door.

"Sorry for Lisa's argumentative attitude, Alex." says Lori. "She just can't help but try and show off her big brain."

Lisa opens her mouth to give a rebuttal to her sibling's statement when she is suddenly silenced by a hand on her head that she calculates could crush her cranium with very little effort. She turns toward Alex and he gives her a wink and a smile.

"There's nothing to be apologetic about. I found our little discussion to be quite refreshing. What's more, I look forward to have more such sessions."

"As do I, my large friend." Lisa says with a smile.

Meanwhile Rebecca has opened the front door to reveal a large box with legs. At least that's what it looks like to her upon first sight. Then a face pokes out from behind the parcel and Rebecca's face breaks out in an incredibly wide grin.

"Hello, dear. It is so good to see you again." the face says.

Rebecca emits an ear tweaking squeal and starts hopping up and down in excitement. "Aunt Vicky! Aunt Vicky!"

Her aunt winces and then smiles. "I'm happy to see you too. Now, could you please take this while I get my bags?"

"Oh, sure. Not a problem." Rebecca says as she takes the box from her aunt and turns her head toward the dining area. "Hey Drakie, come here and get Aunt Vicky's bags for her, please."

It seems that Drake appears within mere seconds of his wife's request. "Victoria, what a pleasant surprise." The young man says as he gives her a hug.

"Victoria?", she says with a bit of a frown. "Drake Temeson, how many times do I have to tell you to call me, Vicky? Victoria makes me sound like an old woman."

The young man chuckles, "Sorry... _Vicky_ , now let me get your bags."

"That's more like it," she says as she pats him on the shoulder. "Hmmm," she says with a sly smile as she gently kneads his shoulder. "It would seem that you've bulked up a bit since the last time I've seen you."

"Yeah," he says with a bit of a blush, "your bother has put me on a regimen for just that reason. He told me that in order to perform properly the mind _and_ the body must be maintained" He then turns to his in-law and whispers, "Don't tell him I said so but...he's right."

"Oh, he'll never hear it from me, dear." She chuckles as she turns into the dining area. "Now, let me say hello to my other nieces and nephew...Oh, my..." She stops dead in her tracks upon seeing the very large group at the table. "Alicia...Alexander, don't tell me that you've adopted all of these children."

The big man roars with laughter at his sister's assumption. "No, Vicky, we haven't. Not officially anyway."

Alex's statement causes the Loud children to chuckle and giggle. They can't remember a time when new neighbors had so quickly become friends. Their father had told them that the situation gives a new meaning to the term 'fast friends'.

Alicia steps forward, "It's so good to see you again, Vicky," she says as she hugs the somewhat plump woman to her. "I see that you're traveling solo this time around."

Vicky looks into her sister-in-law's eyes with a smile. "I love Dale and Lon to death but a girl's gotta get away on her own every once in a while."

"Aunt Vicky", Ellen says as she makes her way toward her aunt with Nightfall in tow.

"There are my other beautiful nieces. My word Ellen, you get taller every time I see you. I'm starting to have to look up to you now." She hugs her niece so tightly that it causes the young woman to slightly wince.

"My goodness, you may be smaller but you hug just as fiercely as dad does."

"We older generation Fairmonts are born huggers, deary." Vicky says with a grin as she takes a knee to get down to Nightfall's level. "Look at you. You're just as dark and beautiful as your mother is fair and beautiful." she says running her fingers through the youngster's hair which is as dark as a raven's wing. She then proceeds to hug her. "You know, Lonnie misses his big cousin."

"I miss him, too." Nightfall says as she plants a kiss on her aunt's cheek.

As she hugs her niece, Vicky sees the last of her family present. "Come here, Lance. Come and give your auntie some sugar, my special little man."

The young boy smiles and lowers his head as he feels Lucy give him a gentle nudge from behind. He, however, reaches back and grabs her hand taking her along with him. As his aunt embraces him and he kisses her cheek she asks, "And who might this be, Lancelot?"

"This is my good friend, Lucy Loud. Lucy, this is my Aunt Vicky." Lance says in a quiet tone.

"I am pleased to meet you Lucy." Vicky says as she holds her hand out to the young goth.

"And I you, ma'am." Lucy responds as she takes hold of Vicky's offered hand.

It is in the moment that their hands touch that both females notice something about each other. The woman leans in closer to goth and whispers, "There would seem to be more to you than meets the eye, Lucy Loud."

"I can say the same about you ma'am." Lucy whispers back.

Neither female notices the slight smile that creeps across Lance's face. The smile, however, is quickly dropped as his aunt turns to him and places a hand on his shoulder. "I've got something for you." she says with a kind of impish grin. "It's in the box that your sister brought in for me."

The boy ambles over to said box which sits on the dining room floor. It stands about three foot high and is eighteen inches wide and the same measurement in depth. Lance takes passing notice that the top is ringed by a series of small holes as he removes it. Looking down into the box the boy's eyes go wide with amazement and joy. "Lucy, come see!" he exclaims as he removes the containers front panel to reveal a cage.

"It's a bat." Lucy states in her monotone voice.

"A pallid bat, to be precise." Vicky interjects. "They're quite plentiful down in Texas and this little lady is a rescue. She was being cared for by a friend of mine when I got word from your father that he in the market for a bat as a pet for you."

"You hear that, Lucy?" the boy says turning to his friend. "She's a rescue just like Fangs!"

The young goth gives her friend a tiny smile and says, "Wicked."

The boy lifts the cage up with Lucy's help places on the dining table where everyone can get a good look at his pet. Lana and Nightfall push their way in to take a closer look.

"Looks like Fangs has somebody to _hang_ with now." Luan quips with a chuckle and receives gentle rap on the head from Alex for her troubles.

"Oh, wow," Leni says as she squints through the bars. "She totes looks like she has bangs."

Lori takes a closer look. "She literally looks like she does."

"Think of a name for her yet, sweetheart?" Alicia asks.

Lance looks from the bat, to Lucy and then back to the bat. "I'm going to call her...Desiree."

At this an audible gasp from the Loud siblings with the exception of Lucy, who remains as stoic as ever.

Leni clasps her hands in joy, "That is like, totes adorable!"

Alex, looking totally lost, simply asks, "What?"

Lori places her hand gently on the big man's forearm, "Desiree, is Lucy's middle name."

"Oh." Alex says with a nod. Then his eyes open wider and he repeats, "Ohhhhhh." He then looks at his son with a smile and a wink.

Lucy and Lance turn and look at one another. The goth, blushing slightly, reaches out and places her hand on Lance's right shoulder and he does the same to her. They both then bring their hands down the other's upper arm in a light caress, down their forearms and finally ending holding hands.

"I am honored." Lucy says.

"And I am honored that you are honored." Lance responds.

Alex's brow knits. "What...?"

"It's a goth thing, lover." Alicia whispers. "Just go with it."

Lance then turns back to the cage. "What do you think, Desiree? Do you like your new name?"

To everyone's amazement the little reddish-brown bat emits two high pitched squeaks as if answering.

Meanwhile a black SUV makes its way through an abandoned industrial park just outside the Royal Woods town limits. The driver swings the large vehicle around to the back of one of the structures and parks near its loading dock. The driver side door swings open and a woman emerges from the vehicle. As she does the SUV's suspension rebounds as it is relieved of her considerable weight. She then walks around the back of the vehicle and opens the passenger door. As she stands at rigid attention a man in a tailored suit emerges. He stands about four inches shorter than his chauffeur and isn't as thickly muscled.

"Thank you, Arclight."

The woman gives him a curt nod and closes the door. She then turns and follows her employer through the door beside the loading dock. The duo then descends down a stairwell which opens into a long, dimly lit corridor. From one end of said corridor voices can be heard.

"We've got HQ breathing down our necks, Cousins. We've got to make a move on the Louds and we've got make it really soon."

"Shut up, Harding," Cousins barks, "I'm in charge of this task force and I, and only I say when we go! You got that?"

Cousins notices that the young woman is about to reply when suddenly her face goes ghostly white. The task force commander turns around and finds himself practically face to face with...

"M-M-Mr. Garibaldi?" Cousins stammers.

"Yes, Mr. Cousins, you are indeed in charge of this task force. Therefore you are the one who receives all the praise when it succeeds and alternately all the blame when it fails." Garibaldi says in his silky smooth mid European accent as he steps forward and Cousins steps back. "Or, in your particular case, when it fails to act." Taking off his stylish glasses and removing a microfiber cloth from his breast pocket Garibaldi proceeds to clean the lenses. "Would you be so kind as to...enlighten me as to why this rather simple mission is not yet completed?"

"S-Sir, we have already lost one operative in our attempt to secure one of the targets, Leni Loud."

"Oh? This is the first I'm hearing of this. Why is that?"

"I-I didn't figure that you'd want to be bothered with s-such a trivial m-matter, sir."

"You are correct in your assumption of it being a trivial matter. However, The Council, you see, has been giving me no end of shit concerning your inaction. Now...I'm sure you're aware of the old expression that shit rolls downhill." He waits for a reply but upon receiving none he continues. "No? Well, simply put...I get shit from The Council and you..." He replaces his glasses and shoves his face right into his subordinate's. So close that their noses touch. "...get shit from me. It is simply the time honored way the world works. Now, how did you lose your operative?"

"S-She was intercepted by one of the F-Fairmont crew. We believe it was the second in command, Alicia Fairmont."

At this news Garibaldi backs off of Cousins. "The Fairmonts?" He says with some measure of surprise. "We got no reports of them even being in this area. They're supposed to still be in New York."

Seeing that his superior is somewhat taken aback by the news seems to embolden the panicky Cousins. He shakes himself and tries to regain some degree of his composure. "Precisely, sir. We didn't expect to have to take on the Ranger Organization's elite group. What's more, the Fairmonts have entwined themselves into the target family's very structure. They've moved in directly down the street from the target. Therefore, making their response time to any threat practically instantaneous, sir."

Garibaldi slowly nods his head as he smiles and comments in a rather whimsical tone, "Oh, Alicia, Alicia, Alicia." He chuckles, "As troublesome as you are beautiful. What a loss we suffered when you went rogue, my dear." He then sighs and focuses once more on Cousins. "Well, that is neither here nor there. The Council has made their feelings on the matter quite clear. Crystal clear, in fact. You are to be replaced."

Cousins feels his blood run cold as he utters a choked, "No."

"Granted," Garibaldi continues, "the Fairmonts are a stumbling block but one I feel you should have figured a way around by now. Arclight."

With a speed that belies her bulk, Arclight is upon the hapless Cousins before he can even react. Grasping the man by the throat she effortlessly lifts him off the floor with only one hand while Cousins gags and gasps for air. He pounds on the woman's arm with all the strength he can muster, however it is to no avail.

Garibaldi turns to Harding who is now visibly trembling. "Ms. Harding," he says in an almost soothing tone, "you were quite correct when you stated that you needed to move quickly. The more time that is given to the Fairmonts will allow them to entrench themselves. Therefore making them all the more of a problem to overcome." A choked sound interrupts him and he smiles at Harding. "Please, excuse me." He turns and nonchalantly says, "Arclight, if you would be so kind as to close your fist."

The large woman once again curtly nods and complies. The muffled sound of bone and cartilage being crushed is heard as Cousins convulses and then goes limp. Arclight then casually drops the corpse to the floor.

Garibaldi nods in satisfaction and returns his attention to Harding. "Now, be a dear and have that cleaned up. Then I want you to assemble _your_ team and plan your strategy for completing the mission at hand. I'll be checking in from time to time. Good day to you, Ms. Harding."

"G-Good day, sir." responds Harding.

"Come, Arclight, I have an old friend to see...about a little girl."

Back at the Fairmont the morning has pretty much settled down to a somewhat lazy afternoon. After talking at length with all the Loud children and catching up with her nieces and nephew's goings on Vicky sits with Alicia. The two women enjoy each other's company over a bottle of chardonnay while, seated at the kitchen's island having their third cup of coffee, Alex and Lori look on.

"They seem to enjoy each other's company." Lori says after lowering the coffee mug from her lips. "I've heard that sisters sometime resent their sisters-in-law."

"Yeah," Alex says with a nod, "I've personally known a few that were that way. Luckily Alicia and Vicky get along swimmingly." He chuckles, "I sometimes think that they joined forces specifically keep me in line."

"You know, I would have figured that your sister would be tall. I mean, she's not even as tall as I am."

Alex raises an eyebrow and then smiles. "Well, that's because we are technically half-siblings. Though neither of us thinks of it that way."

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to pry." Lori says feeling a bit embarrassed.

With a dismissive wave of a large hand, Alex dispels the young woman's feelings. He turns fully to the eldest Loud child with a wide smile.

"Look, you have nothing to feel bad or funny about. You're old enough to know what goes on between young lovers. Well, I was conceived when my mother and father were young and foolish. I am that brother from another mother. He left New York for Texas totally ignorant of my mother's condition. She told me that she didn't want him to feel as though she was trying to trap him into anything."

"But...what did your mom's family think of her situation?"

"Oh, boy. Now you're talking about a real mess. Mom's mother had died bringing her into the world, so it was just my mom and her father."

"So she was an only child, then. He must have really loved her."

"Yeah, you would think but you'd be dead wrong." Alex says with a bit more conviction than he intended. He sees the young woman's eyes go wide for a moment. It was as if she actually could feel the contempt he felt. The big man forces himself to smile as he places a comforting hand on the teen's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Lori," he says and then sighs.

Lori returns his smile with a genuine one of her own as she places her hand on his forearm. "No, I'm sorry. I obviously touch on a sensitive subject."

"Not your fault, sweetheart. I'm forty-four years old and what my grandfather did _still_ makes my guts churn."

"I take it that things didn't go very well."

"Now, there's the understatement of the century. Dear old grandpa turned his back on her. His medieval views on what was proper demanded that he'd do so. He abandoned her to have and raise a child on her own."

Lori's hands fly to her mouth as she gasps in shock. "Why that miserable bastard," she whispers more to herself than to her host. "OMG, I'm sorry! I literally didn't mean to..."

"Yes you did." Alex interrupts, "And I'm here to tell you that you have a higher opinion of him than I do. To say the least he's not one of my favorite people on the planet."

"Oh, he's still alive then?" Lori questions and takes a sip of coffee.

"Yeah, the old bastard just won't die it seems. Maybe he's just too damn ornery to die. I'll tell you this, the day he finally kicks off I want to attend the funeral."

Lori sputters into her coffee mug in surprise. "You want to attend his funeral? I would think that..."

"My dear," Alex interrupts once again, "not counting the twins I _am_ the old cuss' only living blood relative."

"His only living...? Oh, that means that your mother..."

"Yes. Mom left this world quite some time ago. I was around Lincoln's age when she succumb to what I believe was a broken heart. Not from my father leaving but from _her_ father turning his back on her the way he did. She actually still loved the old fart." Alex then sighs with a mixture of sadness and anger. "A father is supposed to love and protect his children. Not cast them out into the cold world because of a mistake."

"But Alex, why would you still want to attend the man's funeral? I mean, you literally made it crystal clear that you don't care for him."

"And I don't. I'd go just to make sure that the old bastard was indeed dead." The big man chuckles. "Hell, I may just pound a stake through his heart just to be sure."

The eldest Loud child just stares at her host with her mouth agape.

"I'm kidding, of course." He watches as Lori breathes a tiny sigh of relief. "About the whole stake thing anyway." he adds with a smile that can only be described as mischievous. The gesture cause Lori to break out in a fit of laughter.

Alex chuckles as he turns away from his guest and moves toward the kitchen cabinet. _**Well, a least she's learned to talk with me without that goofy expression she used to have on her face.**_ He reaches up to the top most shelf and removes a bottle containing a clear liquid.

"Oh, what's that, Alex?" Lori asks.

"This? Oh, it's called Anisette. It's just a little something I use to sweeten my coffee now and again. Would you like a little in yours?"

The young woman's face scrunches a bit at the question. "Um, isn't that a liquor?"

"Well, it is a technically a _liqueur_."

"There's a difference?"

"Certainly. This stuff as a much lower alcohol content and is much sweeter than hard spirits. So much so that it is best consumed when mixed with something else. Tell you what I'll put some in your coffee and if you don't like it, no harm done."

The teen's brow knits in thought as she watches her host pour a small amount of the liquid into her coffee. He then looks at her with a wide smile, "Go on and give it a try," he says.

"I don't know, Alex. I'm not old enough to drink." Lori replies with some nervousness slipping into her voice. She looks down at dark beverage with trepidation as she feels her neighbor's eyes on her. She then, with a sigh, looks up as she pushes the mug toward him. "Sorry but I'm going to have to say no."

Looking up at Alex, Lori expects there to be a look of disappointment on his face. She is surprised, however, to see a wide smile on the big man's face. Slowly realization dawns on the teenager.

"You were testing me, weren't you?" she says with an incredulous expression.

"Indeed I was. You see, I found coming up that peer pressure was a breeze to ignore. I did what I wanted when I wanted and my peers be damned. However, the pressure of an adult that I thought something of was a different story." Alex says as he takes the mug and pours the contents into the sink. He then refills it with coffee and prepares it just the way his guest likes it.

"Bedivere Fairmont, that's my uncle, is the one that started me drinking alcohol. A habit, I'm sorry to say, I still have. He also started me smoking cigars annnnd I still enjoy a good one every now and then."

Handing Lori her coffee, Alex retakes his seat next to her. He then chuckles, "What gets me is that the old coot had the nerve to be ticked when I kept raiding his liquor cabinet. My father told him that it was his fault for introducing me to the stuff in the first place."

"Serves him right," Lori says with a giggle. 

"That's just what Daisy said."

"Daisy?"

"Oh, she's my stepmom and one of the sweetest women on the planet. Though when I first met her I didn't appreciate that fact."

"Oh, I take it you didn't get along with her at first." Lori says after taking a sip from her mug.

"Now talk about stating the obvious. I was all of eleven years old and I was totally at war with the rest of the world. In my eyes, Daisy was this upstart that had taken my mother's place in my father's heart and I hated her and him for it. I was a total jerk."

"Well, you _were_ only eleven years old and you were, therefore, looking at things with the eyes of a child," the teen says with a pretty smile as she places a sympathetic hand her host's forearm.

"You're exactly right. But I still look back on those times and inwardly cringe. Daisy showed me nothing but sympathy and love and I responded with nothing but bitterness and hatred. How she kept her cool is beyond me. Anyway, dad didn't have a lot of choice in the matter. The authorities put me in his care and Daisy wasn't going to have it any other way. That alone should have clicked in my prepubescent brain the she was on my side but it didn't. I hated her, my dad and everything about having to move half way across the country to live with them in Hondo."

"Hondo? I can't say that I've ever heard of it."

Alex chuckles, "I would have been very surprised if you had. It's a small town an hour or so outside of Dallas. My uncle owns a horse ranch there."

Lori smiles, "I just can't see _you_ on a horse ranch."

"I know, weird, right?"

"Did you do any bronco busting?" Lori asks with an arched eyebrow.

"Indeed I did and a few broncos busted me. I'm telling you I never knew that dirt could be so hard."

Lori breaks into a genuine belly laugh and Alex gives her a warm smile in return.

"Yeah, there was this one particularly ornery stallion that my uncle named, Stormy. That cuss fixed so I limped for a week."

The statement causes the teenager to break into another fit of laughter and Alex chuckles along with her.

Finally, the teen regains her composure and while wiping a tear from her eye ask, "I take it he was the one that no one could break?"

"You're absolutely correct, Lori." Alex says after take a pull of his drink. "Though, he would allow me and only me to ride him after a while. I'd like to think that it was a case of mutual respect between the two of us but I think that old Stormy just got tired of throwing me off his back."

The big man's young guest simply stares at him for what seems an eternity. She then adopts a deadpan expression and says, "You're crapping me, right?"

Alex recoils slightly at the question but answers with a smile, "Nope. There ain't no crappin' going on around here, Miss Loud. If you don't believe me, ask Vicky. She was there to pick up the pieces every time I was thrown." He looks into the living room at his sister conversing with Alicia. "I couldn't ask for a more devoted little sister."

It was in that moment that Lori realized what she and her neighbor had in common. Love of family. She could see the warmth in Alex's eyes as he spoke of his sibling. She, too felt that way towards her siblings. Sure they drove her crazy at times but, hey didn't all siblings do that?

"Why you're just a big softy, Alex," she says with a sly smile and lidded eyes.

"Shhh," Alex says, gently pressing a large finger against her lips. "If you blow my cover, my family will eat me alive."

"I know what you mean." Lori responds with a laugh.

Alex goes to take another hit off his beverage but realizes that his mug is empty. "Top you off?" He asks as he rises a makes his way to the coffee maker.

"Yes, please." Lori responds.

At that moment the front doorbell sounds. "I'll get it!" Nightfall calls bounding toward the door. Alex is returning to Lori with coffee carafe in hand when the room hears, "Daddy!"

With a look of confusion twinged with alarm, Alex places the container down and makes his way to the door. Lori cranes her neck slightly as she follows the big man with her eyes. She hears him as he approaches the his second youngest child an questions, "What is it sweet..." The question dies on his tongue. Then she hears his voice change. It shifts into an almost guttural growl. "What the actual fuck?" Now Lori Loud is no stranger to such language. Hell, there were times when she, herself had dropped the 'F bomb' but is the way her neighbor voiced it that shocked her. It seemed that it was dripping with venom and hatred. She notices that Alicia has gotten up moving toward the door and though she was but a guest in their home, Lori found herself doing the same.

What she could see is that Alex had moved his daughter back behind him and Alicia was lifting the little girl and holding her close. As the teen approaches, Alicia turns and wordlessly hands her daughter off to her. Without hesitation, Lori takes Nightfall in her arms and immediately notices that the child's gaze hasn't once left the direction of the front door.

"Do you know what's going on, sweetie?" she asks the child.

"That's a bad man, Lori. A really, _really_ bad man." replies Nightfall.

The teen feels her heart stutter for a moment in her chest. She tries angling herself as to get a better look at the individual. From what she could make out the visitor wasn't as tall as her host. Looked like he stood about six and half feet tall. The suit he wore made him look all the world like someone peddling insurance or some such thing. However, standing to one side and slightly behind him was a woman or at least she thought it was a woman. Her hair was in a military style buzz cut and she had very broad shoulders and stood nearly as tall as Alex. The suit she wore, Lori noticed, was definitely cut on a masculine bias making her look that much more intimidating.

"Now she literally looks like she can thump." Lori whispers.

"Yeah," Nightfall whispers back. "She certainly does."

The blonde teenager's gaze move from the large woman to matriarch of the Fairmont clan. Though she cannot see the woman's face, Lori can almost feel the tension radiating from the albino's form. As if every fiber of her being was on alert. Alicia Fairmont was like a coiled snake ready to strike. In contrast her husband, though the tension of the situation was practically palpable, seemed to be in a state of relaxed alertness. If such a thing is even possible.

"Lori, you're squeezing me too tight." Nightfall whispers. 

"Oh, sorry sweetie." Lori apologizes.

Alex gives his visitor a crooked smile and says, "Joseph fucking Garibaldi. What brings you down from your ivory tower to mingle with us...common folk?"

Garibaldi returns Alex's smile, "Why you do, old friend." He then turns his dark eyes to Alicia. "Or more precisely your lovely wife does. How are you, Alicia? Lovely as ever, I see."

Alicia eyes narrow as she spits back, "Still playing the part of The Council's lap dog, I see."

Garibaldi chuckles, "Charming as always."

"Let's cut to the chase, Joseph." Alex growls, "What is it you want here?"

Garibaldi lifts and eyebrow. "Why, I figured I'd save us both some trouble and ask you to hand over the little girl."

An audible gasp escapes Lori's lips as she pulls Nightfall to her chest. "He wants to take you away from your family?"

Nightfall stares into Lori's blue eyes and with a frown slowly shakes her head.

"Ain't gonna happen, Joseph." Alex says with a grin. "So, I suggest you go back to The Council, slink under the table, crawl between the legs of your masters and service them." The big man winks. " _If_ you get my meaning?"

The pleasant smile Garibaldi had be wearing falls from his face and his eyes narrow. The big woman at his side takes half a step forward. However, a quick shift of Alex's gaze stops her dead in her tracks.

"There are leash laws in this town, Joseph. I suggest you put one on your _bitch_ before she gets her ass chewed."

Garibaldi raises his left hand and the woman returns to her previous position. He then gives the lapels of his jacket a small tug as his smile once again returns.

"You are a fool, Fairmont. We will have her and if we have to do so over you and your family's broken bodies..." He turns and starts to walk toward his car but turns back with a sinister smile, "So much the better."

Together Alex and Alicia watch as the SUV pulls away.

"Well, I guess that's that." Alicia says with a sigh.

"Yes, the gauntlet has been thrown down." Alex replies nodding his head.

Stepping back into the house and closing the door they both find Lori still protectively holding Nightfall to her.

"Alex. Alicia." The teen begins with a confused look. "Who were those people? What's this all about?"

"First off, I would like for you to calm down." Alex says placing a hand on the teen's shoulder. "Second, I'd like you to call your parents and ask them to come here." The big man takes a deep breath and then explosively exhales. "The time for clarity has come."

 **Author's Note:**

 **I must apologize to anyone following this story. I hadn't realized that between my procrastinating, RL crap and the fact that this chapter seemed to fight me tooth and nail it had been eight months since I posted. I'm terribly sorry about this and will endeavor to release chapters in a more timely fashion.**


End file.
